What Should Have Been
by corefourlove
Summary: My take on how Kono and Steve's relationship started. Warning: This story is discontinued indefinitely. Much thanks for all of your support.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: This story is basically just a rewrite of every episode. I'll try to update this as fast as I can._

_My usual thanks goes out to my "other half", Tiana-P, for being my constant bouncing board. If it weren't for her motivation and support, I wouldn't have gone through with this. This is for you!_

* * *

_1989_

"Your father has gone fishing with Chin Ho so they won't be back for a while," Steve's mother, Doris, announced as she came out of the kitchen and into the living room where Steve and his best friend, James, were seated on the couch in front of the television. "I made you kids some cookies and punch. They're on the dining room table."

"Uh-huh," Steve muttered with a video game controller in hand, his eyes never leaving the television screen. He had just picked up the new _Prince of Persia _video game and had been playing non-stop since arriving home from a long school day.

"Mary Ann is out on the lanai with Kono," his mother continued as she grabbed her purse that was hanging from the stair railing. "Make sure you look after them, okay?"

"Uh-huh," he muttered again as his concentration remained firmly on his video game.

Her arms were now folded across her chest as she stood by the front door. "Steven, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes!" he yelled as he beat a boss, throwing his hands up in victory.

"Steven!" his mother yelled in annoyance.

He finally looked up at her as James snatched the controller out of his fingertips. "What?" Steve asked her innocently.

"What did I say?" she asked coldly.

"You said to make sure I look after Kono and Mary," he retorted flatly.

"And?"

"And that there's cookies and punch on the dining room table."

"Good, you _were_ listening," she huffed as she dug into her purse for her car keys. "I'm going to the grocery store then stopping by my work to drop off a few things. Make sure that the girls do their homework. Same goes for you two." She pointed at them, then to the television. "I want this off and your homework done by the time I come back."

"Yes, mom," he said, annoyed.

"I mean it, Steven," she called as she turned the doorknob.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "I know, mom."

As soon as his mother left, Mary slid open the screen door at the back of their house, giggling as she ran inside and up the staircase to her bedroom. Kono followed suit, sliding the screen door closed behind her before running toward the stairs.

She stopped halfway across the living room when she noticed Steve sitting on the couch with his eyes still locked on the television, watching his best friend play his video game. She smiled as she greeted him flirtingly but shyly, twisting her long hair with her fingers. "Hi, Steve."

Steve looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Hi, Kono," he greeted back with a dubious tone.

She remained stationary and stared at him with adoring eyes as Mary came running back downstairs to see what was taking Kono so long to go up to her bedroom. Mary rolled her eyes as she reached for Kono's arm. "Come on, Kono," Mary hissed in an annoyed tone as she dragged her up the stairs.

"Bye, Steve," Kono giggled.

Steve lifted his eyebrows and widened his eyes as he tilted his head in annoyance and turned his body back to the television. "What was _that_ about?" James asked without taking his eyes off of the screen.

"Dude, I don't even know. She acts so weird about me," Steve said while shaking his head.

"Maybe she likes you," James smiled, continuing to press buttons on his controller.

Steve turned his head toward James, a disgusted expression written on his face. "Dude, _gross_. She's only _seven_."

"What's wrong with age difference? My mom is _ten_ years younger than my dad and they get along great."

Steve just rolled his eyes. "I don't know, dude. It would just be weird, okay? Besides, she's my sister's best friend."

"I'm sure your sister wouldn't mind. You're a good guy. I'm pretty sure she would want a good guy for her, and who better than her own brother?"

"Are you really trying to play matchmaker right now?" Steve scoffed.

James chuckled. "Come on, tell me you don't think she's cute."

Steve squinted his eyes at him in disbelief. "Why don't _you_ just go date her?"

"Maybe once she's in high school," James joked, earning him a smack across his shoulder.

"Alright, alright," James laughed.

James then threw his head back onto the couch as his character died in the game. "That's what you get," Steve grinned as he yanked the controller from him to replay the stage.

…

_1992_

Kono's mother, who was helping Kono's baby sister, Lani, with homework in the dining room, watched with concern as her eldest daughter barged through the front door after school and stomped her way up the stairs, tears falling heavily from her eyes. "I'll be right back, _keiki,_" her mother said softly as she placed a hand on the small of Lani's back.

Kono opened the door to her bedroom and shut it loudly behind her, dropping her backpack onto the carpet before stumbling onto her bed. As she buried her face into her pillow, her mother knocked lightly on her bedroom door. "Kono, can I come in?"

"Go away," she muffled into her pillow.

Despite her daughter's request, she slowly opened the door and walked inside. Kono was heaving and sobbing almost uncontrollably.

"I heard about Mary Ann," she said softly as she reached the foot of her bed. She sat down slowly and patted Kono's tiny legs that were dangling off the edge of the bed. She then stretched out her arms for her. "Come here, _kaikamahine._"

With puffy eyes and reddened cheeks, she crawled onto her mother's lap, burying her face into her shirt. "There, there. It's okay," her mother whispered as she patted the back of her head while rocking her back and forth.

"It's not okay!" she mumbled with her face still buried in her chest. "I lost my best friend _and_ the love of my life!"

"I know it's hard to lose your love–" she said almost immediately before cutting herself off, shocked by her daughter's words. "Wait, _love of your life?_"

"Yup," she said, lifting her head up and wiping away the fresh tears that were falling down her face.

"Wait, I thought we were talking about _Mary Ann?_" she asked with obvious confusion in her voice.

"Yeah, but now Steve's gone, too."

"_Steve?_ I didn't know you had a crush on him."

"I don't. I _love_ him."

Kono's mother lifted her eyebrows and widened her eyes. "You _love_ him," she retorted flatly.

"We were supposed to get married and live happily ever after."

Kono's mother had to smile at her naïve belief. "Oh, Kono, it'll be okay. There's plenty of other fish in sea."

"No, there isn't," she mumbled as she climbed off of her and plopped back down onto her bed, face thudding into her pillow. "I'll _never_ find anyone better."

…

_1997_

Kono parked her bicycle on the lanai and ran into her house, almost bumping into the furniture as she made her way to the couch. She reached for the nearest telephone unit, dialing Mary's telephone number in Los Angeles by memory.

"Hello?" Mary answered abruptly on the first ring.

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh, my God! _Finally!_" Mary yelled on the other end of the line. "Where _were _you? I've been calling you for hours!"

"I believe you," Kono laughed. "I was out surfing."

"Of course you were," Mary said sarcastically.

"Well, what's going on? Are you okay?"

Mary's voice was now louder than necessary. "No, I'm not okay! I just heard about you getting signed! Thanks for _not_ telling me! I had to hear it from ESPN first!"

"Oh, stop being a drama queen. I was gonna tell you. It's why I called you."

"Yeah, okay, _fine._"

"Well, aren't you proud of me?" Kono persisted with an obvious smile forming on her lips.

"Well, of course I am! I'm always proud of you."

"Aww, thanks. You're such a great friend," Kono said in a mocking tone.

"I know I am," Mary mocked in response. "So, what else haven't you told me?"

"Nothing."

"Liar. You failed to mention your sponsorship deal. You're not a mom yet, are you?"

"_No,_ Mary," Kono sighed.

"I'm _kidding,_" Mary defended herself before lowering her voice. "I better be godmother to at least one of them."

"You will be, don't worry," Kono said flatly, rolling her eyes. "How's, uh…how's your brother?"

"Why do you care? Aren't you still with Mikala?"

Kono ignored her question. "I can't ask how he's doing?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "He doesn't have a girlfriend," she responded, knowing what she meant by her question.

A mischievous grin began to grow on Kono's face. "Oh, what a shame."

"Kono…"

"What? I'm just saying, it's a shame. He's too cute to not have a girlfriend."

"_Please _stop. You make me want to throw up."

"I'm not apologizing," Kono grinned.

"Whatever. I thought you were over my brother," Mary asked seriously.

Kono chuckled lightly before responding. "I don't think I'll ever completely get over him."

* * *

_keiki – baby; kaikamahine – daughter_


	2. Pilot

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

* * *

_2010 — Present day_

Steve slowly removed his sunglasses as he looked out from inside Danny's car, completely awestruck at the sight of a _familiar,_ incredibly sexy young woman riding the waves on her surfboard. "Is that Kono?"

"Oh, so you do remember her," Chin said cheerfully.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course I do," Steve said distractedly as his eyes never left Kono. _Holy shit, she grew up._

Chin noticed Steve staring at his cousin hypnotically and nudged his seat. "You mind getting out so that I can get out?" he asked politely. Pulling out of his trance, Steve shook his head and quickly glanced back at Chin before opening the passenger door. "Oh, right."

…

"So, who's the girl?" Danny asked as the three of them made their way down to the beach.

"My baby cousin," Chin announced.

"Huh," Danny said in amazement as he pursed his lips and watched her land a wave gracefully and naturally.

"Choose your next words carefully, Danny," Chin retorted sourly as he turned around to look at Danny angrily. Danny just looked at Chin and smiled bashfully.

The three of them were now standing on the beach. Danny nodded as he continued to purse his lips and stare at her. "She's very–" he began, but was cut off by Chin's cold glare. "I was going to say, _talented,_" he gulped as he cringed away from him in terror.

Chin chuckled as he nodded his head, looking back at his cousin. "She's off the charts. Spent three years on the pro circuit before she blew out her knee. She was devastated. Had to reinvent herself and decided to wear a badge. Graduates from the police academy in a week."

"Hey, watch out!" Kono screamed to another surfer who eventually crashed into her, knocking her off of her surfboard. "Oof," Chin winced.

As Steve watched Kono's dripping wet body come up from the water, he suddenly felt unsure about using her for their undercover op. He was afraid that she would be a distraction to him. "Are you sure you don't have anyone else in mind?" Steve pushed. "I mean, she's got no street experience."

She combed her wet hair back with her fingers before sticking her board into the sand. The surfer who had crashed into her was already back on shore, sitting on the sand. "Ho, brah!" she called out to the surfer, punching him in the face as he got up off the sand.

Chin and Danny just laughed while Steve narrowed his eyes at her dazedly, his sunglasses dropping down the bridge of his nose. He suddenly changed his mind about her.

"Think twice before you drop in on someone else's wave," she snarled as she watched the surfer wipe the blood from his face with his hand.

As she picked up her board, she noticed her cousin standing at a distance. "Cousin!" she called out as she ran toward him.

Chin smiled and walked toward her with open arms, inviting her in for a hug. She giggled and stuck her board back into the sand before embracing her cousin in a quick hug. "Oh, you had it, water woman!" Chin exclaimed as he pulled away, pointing his finger toward the ocean. "Double overhead!"

"Waste," she nodded with a smile. "First good pipe of the season."

"Tourists," he nodded his head and smiled back. "What'cha gonna do?" He turned back to Steve, gesturing him to move forward. "Kono, you remember–"

"_Steve McGarrett?_" Her eyes widened as she smiled in shock.

"Hey, Kono," he greeted shakily.

"Oh, my God! It's been so long!" she said gleefully as she hugged him, pressing her still wet body against his. She then pulled back from the hug, resting her hands on her defined hips and showing off her tight, toned stomach. "I've missed you," she muttered seductively.

As she looked him down and up with a sly smirk on her face, he gulped nervously, feeling Chin's eyes on him. He decided right then to change the direction of their discussion. "Uh, that was a pretty good right cross," he acknowledged with a nod.

"Nah, man, that was a love tap," she murmured confidently.

Chin rolled his eyes before looking at Danny's direction. "Cousin, this is Danny Williams, he's a detective in District 7," he said to Kono, pointing his thumb at Danny.

"Hi," Danny greeted, shaking her hand. She chuckled as he continued to shake her hand, causing both Chin and Steve to lift their eyebrows at Danny. "That's good, brah," Chin quipped.

"Sure," Danny muttered, letting her hand go.

Chin looked back at Kono as he shook his head in bemusement. "I told them that you're graduating from the academy next week. They want to offer you extra credit."

She nodded and smirked. "I'm listening…"

…

"Alright, that's it," Steve said as he took his headset off and turned to look at Chin. "Pull the plug. Let's get her out of there."

"Relax," Chin said calmly. "She can handle herself."

"Maybe you're a cop," said Sang Min. "Did anyone check her for a wire?"

"We checked her when she came in," said one of Sang Min's men who was standing next to him with his arms crossed at his chest.

Sang Min shot him a glowering look. "Maybe you missed it." He looked Kono down and up before speaking again. "Take off your dress, so I know you're not wearing a wire," he ordered as he turned back around to sit behind his desk.

Steve's eyes widened and his mouth hung in shock as he watched her take her dress off slowly from the camera feed. Her bra pushed her breasts firmly together, creating a tantalizing cleavage. Her panties were snug where it counted. He caught himself thinking dirty thoughts and shook his head to rid of them. _Now is not the time, _he cursed himself inwardly.

"Turn around," Sang Min requested to Kono. She did what she was told, a panicked expression never leaving her face. She twitched as he dragged a finger over her back. Steve couldn't help clenching his jaw. He didn't understand where all these feelings of lust and protectiveness were coming from.

As Sang Min took a picture of her with his mobile phone, she covered herself with her hands. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to send this photo to a friend of mine, and he's going to show it to his friends. If anyone recognizes you, you're dead."

"Trace the call, Danny!" Steve requested, panic obvious in his voice.

Danny swore under his breath as he read the results on the computer screen. "Mobile number unlisted."

"You got a location?"

As he got a lock on the phone's location, Danny's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Danny!" Steve yelled.

"It's ringing inside my precinct," he said with a shocked tone in his voice.

"We gotta move!" Steve said as he hopped into the driver's seat and sped the truck toward the warehouse where Kono was. Kono ducked as she heard the truck crash into the warehouse. As Steve opened the passenger door with a gun in hand, he looked around anxiously for Kono. Kono, who was still crouched down on the ground, looked up and met his eyes.

"You're early," she commented breathlessly.

"You alright?" he asked genuinely as he hopped down from the truck.

A smirk suddenly spread across her face. "Now I am."

…

"Where are you going?" Kono asked Danny as she took a swig of her beer, laughter still in her voice.

"I have to go pick my daughter up," Danny said as he stood up, taking the last few swigs of his drink.

"I have to go, too," Chin said as he also got up from his chair.

"And what's _your_ excuse?" she asked Chin flatly, raising an eyebrow in defiance.

"I'm meeting Cousin Liko in a half hour. We're supposed to go fishing."

"Fine. More beer for me, then," she smiled as she lifted her beer in the air.

As the two men said their goodbyes, Kono looked at Steve slyly. "Looks like it's just me and you, sailor…" she said smoothly, sipping the last of her drink as she sat back into her chair. "Unless you're ditching, too."

Steve, who was leaning on the table, gazed at her challengingly. "You trying to guilt trip me, Kalakaua?"

"Maybe," she flirted, twisting the caps off two beer bottles before holding one of the bottles out to him. "What's it gonna be, sailor? You gonna keep me company?"

He thought about it before smiling. "Yeah," he said as he sat on a chair next to her and took the bottle out of her hand. "Why not?"

She smiled as she sat up straight, lifting her bottle up to Steve's. "To the start of a good night," she toasted.

He clinked his bottle against hers, a small smile forming in his lips. "Cheers."

Within a little over an hour, they had gotten really drunk and were now only inches apart as they sat on the ground together, laughing hysterically as they reminisced about when they were kids. "Do you remember when you used to play dress up?" she laughed.

"No! I never did such a thing," he defended.

"Yes, you did!" she said as she swatted him on the arm. "I remember Mary and I would find you digging through an old trunk. You loved wearing that God-awful clown costume."

It was his turn to swat her playfully. "Shut up," he chuckled as he took a drink out of his almost empty beer bottle. "That was actually pretty fun. Fuck you for bringing that up."

She chuckled as she clumsily grabbed the last beer out of the box. "Fine, fine. I'll change the subject." She smirked before continuing. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He was stunned at her question. "No, I don't."

She smiled as she flipped the cap off her bottle. "Good. Don't be surprised if I ask you out."

His eyes widened, nearly choking on his beer. "Wait, you wanna ask me out? You like me?"

"I've always liked you," she mumbled while laughing.

"You've _always_ liked me?" he asked. He tried to recall when she had started to look at him the way she was now. He then remembered a conversation he had about her with James back when they were adolescents. _Holy shit, the bastard was right. She really did like me._

Her voice snapped him back from his thoughts. "I don't know how you couldn't tell. It was pretty obvious," she said with a flirt in her voice. "It still is pretty obvious."

She was now leaning closely against him, her lips hovering an inch from his. "It's also pretty obvious that you're curious about me."

"No, I'm not," he said instantaneously, his voice trembling nervously.

"You're a horrible liar. I can see it in your eyes," she whispered seductively. His heart thumped faster as she playfully brushed her lips along his. "Just give in to me, Steve. Don't you want to know how I _taste?_"

Just as he was about to let her devour him, she purposely pulled away. _That fucking tease…_

"You'll give in one day," she purred as she stood up. "It's going to be fun working with you, McGarrett."

He scoffed loudly as she turned around and walked toward the bathroom.

_I'm so fucked._

* * *

_malihini – a foreigner or stranger_


	3. ʻOhana

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: Apologies in advance for the angst! The next chapter will make up for it. Or, I hope it will, at least._

_My usual thanks goes to Tiana-P. You seriously rock so much._

* * *

Steve combed his wet hair with his fingers as he climbed out of the water and walked back onto shore, spitting the salty water out of his mouth. He arose from his bed shortly after sunrise and spent the first hour of his day in the ocean, swimming laps back and forth to clear his mind.

He had spent the previous day, as well as every day that week, thinking about what had _almost_ happened between him and Kono on the evening they had gotten drunk together. It had been burned into his memory and he couldn't rid of it.

He recalled those days when it had been easy to brush the idea of them together aside. Their six-year age difference was a major factor, but now that they were both adults, he didn't seem to mind anymore, and that bothered him.

It didn't help that she was also his subordinate now. Despite not having a rule about fraternization, he really wanted to be professional with her. She knew this, yet it didn't seem to stop her. He was fairly certain that she wasn't going to stop until she got him where she wanted him, and that only made him want her more. The fact that she was so confident was _so_ sexy.

He then thought about Chin, and how he probably wouldn't approve of them being together. That alone should be giving him an incentive to not act on it. He found it disturbing that if they had to sneak around to see each other, it would be okay with him.

As Steve walked into his house, he couldn't help but start thinking of her again. He immediately shook his head, convincing himself to stop. _Pull yourself together, McGarrett. She's just another woman. _Even while he was thinking that, he knew he was lying to himself.

…

"Chin, Kono, stay on the SUV. Danny and I are on the van," Steve ordered before walking away and toward the van.

"Hey, McGarrett! Hold up," Kono called as she walked toward him.

Steve turned around to face her, a look of discomfort etched on his tired face. She studied his facial features before giving him a sly smirk. "Looks like you haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"I'm fine," he assured flatly.

"Are you sure?" she asked sarcastically as she wagged her index finger at him. "Because your undershirt can beg to differ."

Steve looked down at his undershirt and noticed that it was on backwards. He rolled his eyes as he took off his overshirt then held it between his legs. As he took off his undershirt, he noticed her eyebrow rise and her lips form a smile. "What are you smiling at?"

"Your sexy, washboard abs," she said seductively as she looked him down and up, biting her lower lip. "Maybe you should start going into work shirtless."

He sighed as he put his undershirt back on and the right way, followed by his overshirt. "Is there an _actual_ reason why you pulled me aside?"

"Oh, right, sorry. You were distracting me. I think you know what that feels like," she said with a voice that sent pleasure throughout his whole body. He scoffed and sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. He could have sworn he was blushing at this point. "_Kono…_"

"My graduation dinner is at Haleiwa Joe's at 7:30. I'd love it if you can make it." He wanted so badly to say "no", but what came out of his mouth was different. "Yeah, I'm free," he said, almost sincerely.

She knew he was hesitant, which made her smile all the more. "Great. I'll see you tonight," she said before walking away.

He walked the opposite direction, scrunching his face up in disappointment. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

…

As Kono looked out the small window on the entrance door, she saw Steve peeking through. She flashed a subtle smile at him as he locked eyes with her and nodded his chin up.

Moments later, she looked up to find him on the upper floor. He stopped in his tracks as he looked down at her and nodded again, gesturing hand signals in the air. She nodded subtly to let him know that she understood him, earning her a wink from him. It was difficult for her not to smile.

As Kono jumped Natalie and punched her continuously, Steve jumped down to the main floor (in the most ninja-like way possible) and noticed a gas cylinder on fire, ready to explode. He yelled for everyone to run outside as he ran to Kono, grabbing onto her arm and yanking her out of the building.

As the building exploded into flames, they were all thrown several feet into the air. Steve dove on top of Kono as they landed on the ground, protecting her from any debris that showered over them. She was taken by surprise when she realized that he was hovering over her, his breath panting. They just remained stationary as they stared at each other in a trance.

Just as he was about to lean in to kiss her, Danny called for his attention. "Steve!"

"Uh…" he shuddered, his face turning red as the awkwardness kicked in. "Get up, would you!" Danny yelled to Steve as he pointed a gun at the only suspect who escaped before the building set fire.

Steve avoided Kono's eyes as he stood up and walked toward Danny. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched him walk away, scoffing in shock.

_Damn you, Danny. Damn you._

…

As Kono walked out of the bathroom at headquarters, she found the three men on her team standing before her in their respective law enforcement and military uniforms. She almost gasped when she caught sight of Steve in his black Naval officer's uniform. _Holy fucking shit._ She was amazed at herself that she didn't just drag him into a storage closet right then to fuck the shit out of him.

She approached them slowly, smiling at them as she looked back and forth between them.

Steve was the first one to approach her, handing her a small box. She looked up at him questioningly as she took the box from him. "Go ahead," he said in a sultry voice.

She opened the box to find a Kel-Tec 9mm pistol. She ran her hand on top of the gun and smiled up at him. "Very nice. Thanks, Steve."

He nodded before speaking. "I'm sorry you were put in danger today," he mumbled sincerely. "Please know that I'll do everything that I can to protect you."

Momentarily speechless, she could only stare at him as his words sunk in. Before she could say anything, however, he stepped back into formation as it was Danny's turn to step forward.

…

Just as Steve was getting up out of his chair, Kono tapped lightly on his office door frame. "Hey," she greeted as she leaned against the door frame, her head lolled to the side.

"Hey," he greeted back in a surprised tone as he walked around his desk to approach her. "You're still here. I was just leaving to go change."

Instead of responding, she just smiled and walked over to him, leaving only little space between them.

He squinted his eyes in curiosity. "What?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," she began in a lustful tone. "I just wanted to thank you."

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. "For what?"

"For protecting me earlier, for being willing to do whatever you can to protect me."

He stood silently for a moment as he looked at her longingly. He then said the words he never thought would come out of his mouth. "Of course I'd protect you."

She smiled sweetly at his response. "I think you're starting to warm up to me, sailor." He just scoffed and smiled, looking away to hide his blushing.

Her smile turned into a grin, her teeth beautiful and straight. She tiptoed as she kissed his cheek passionately, holding onto his shoulders for stability. His mind turned foggy as he took in the feel of her lips pressed against his cheek.

She then sank back down from her tiptoes, pulling back to look him deep in the eyes. "I'll see you at dinner," she said as she turned around and walked toward the door.

"Kono!" he called out almost immediately. Smirking, she turned around slowly. "Yeah?"

He wanted to kiss her so badly right then. "Never mind."

"You sure?" she challenged.

"Yeah, I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay," she chuckled, turning back and walking toward the office exit.

_I'm such a fucking idiot,_ he mumbled to himself as he turned the light switch off.


	4. Malama Ka Aina

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: I'm going on a quick hiatus. I'll likely be back next week. I hope this satisfies you until then. Much love!_

* * *

Funny thing was, Steve thought he was at his alma mater, Kukui High, to watch their annual grudge match against Piikoi. Instead, he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Kono.

She had dressed casual in denim shorts that complimented her long, tanned legs and that hugged her derrière perfectly, as well as a red tank top that showed the smooth skin of her toned stomach when she would stand up and throw her arms up to cheer. He kept thanking Chin inwardly for sitting in between them.

As she stood up from the bleachers and yelled at a referee, he looked at her in amazement. The girl knew her football. _Damn it, stop being so sexy,_ he cursed at her inwardly.

She looked from the corners of her eyes and saw him looking at her, his eyes traveling down and up her body. She turned her head opposite of him, smiling inconspicuously to herself. It was evident that her devious plan was definitely working.

Chin caught him staring at his baby cousin and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "She's just getting warmed up," he said to him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh," Steve said, shaking his head and snapping out of his trance. Chin just rolled his eyes again and went back to watching the football game.

As the referee made another horrible call, she stood back up with an implacable look on her face, catching Steve's attention once more. "How did you miss that face mask call, ref? He only tried to gouge the kid's eyes out. You suck!"

Steve gulped and looked away. He was beyond impressed. "Glad she's on our team," he murmured to Chin, chuckling.

"I bet you are," Chin retorted sourly, yet he had a smile on his face.

Steve just glanced at him hesitantly.

_Shit._

…

Just as Steve reached the stoplight in his newly rented Ferrari wearing a bowless tuxedo, he and Danny noticed three young women in a top-down Mustang convertible next to them, seducing them with their wiles.

The woman in the backseat bit her lower lip then pursed her mouth as she looked at Steve, the wind blowing her long, silky hair back. He smiled at her while Danny kept his focus on the other two women in the front of the car, trying to keep his mouth from opening too widely.

Danny then tapped Steve on the shoulder. "_Detour._ I _beg_ of you."

Although Steve had convinced himself that he wanted to follow the women to where they were going, he found himself stepping on the gas petal instead, causing Danny to scream at him as he sped off. "No, no, what are you doing? Turn around!"

Danny turned back around in his seat as they were inching further and further away from them. "What the fuck was _that?_" Danny snapped as he looked at him furiously.

Steve himself was confused by his own actions. "I…I don't know," he said as if he was questioning himself.

Danny threw his hands up exasperatedly. "It's not like you have a girlfriend to worry about. You were just as curious as I was!"

Steve ignored Danny's continuous babbling as he looked out at the road in front of him and thought about why he did what he had done. He had an opportunity to choose between three women and he passed it up. Was it because of Kono? Was he really starting to develop feelings for her?

"Hey!" Danny said as he snapped his fingers in Steve's face, breaking him from his thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"

"No," Steve said flatly as he signaled and turned the corner. "I stopped listening to you _long_ ago."

…

Steve was in the middle of playing a hand when he saw Kono come out of the kitchen. He took a double take as he noticed the red kimono dress on her. The dress was short enough to _almost_ show what she was wearing underneath, and the neckline pushed her breasts together and up, effectively displaying her cleavage. She was also wearing high heels, which just added to her sexiness.

As she poured champagne for a gentleman, she looked up to see Steve looking at her with heavy-lidded eyes that were dilated in desire. She smiled at him subtly but seductively before finishing pouring the champagne then handing the gentleman the champagne flûte.

As Chin gave Kono a go-signal through her earpiece to follow Frank Salvo and the new Samoan boss into a meeting room, she looked at Steve one more time with dark, teasing eyes before strutting toward Salvo with a bar cart in her grasp.

Steve watched her hungrily as she disappeared from his sight, mirroring the passion she was feeling. He didn't think he could hold back any longer.

…

Steve hid behind a bush by the swimming pool, waiting to ambush the gang members and for Danny to get into his position. A few moments later, Danny came out from the building, pretending to be drunk. He had a cocktail waitress in his arms and he was kissing her senseless. Steve wasn't sure who the waitress was at first from where he was positioned, but her identity became obvious to him after she let out a giggle.

_Oh, my God._

_Kono?_

Steve's mouth hung open in anger and shock; his free hand curled up into a fist while his other hand squeezed his gun arm hard. He was never one to be jealous, but he was that evening. He wanted to rip Danny's head off.

As the gang members tried to escort Danny and Kono away from the pool area, Steve transferred his anger at Danny to the gang members and yelled for their attention.

…

Instead of heading straight home, Steve found himself driving toward Kono's house. He didn't care about right or wrong anymore. He _needed_ her, he _wanted_ her, and he was _determined_ to _have_ her.

He knocked on her door, hard and wanton. When she opened the door, she was still wearing her kimono dress. "Steve," she said coolly with a devious smirk. "What are you doing here?"

"Let me come in," he insisted.

"Sure," she said seductively as she stepped aside to let him in, her smirk never leaving her lips.

As she closed her front door and turned around to face him, she asked, "What's wrong? Did you need something?"

"Yeah. I need _you,_" he growled as he walked toward her, attacking her lips as soon as he had access. She smiled against his mouth as his tongue plundered hers. She then grunted lowly as he slammed her back against the door.

He dragged his mouth to her ear, gripping her lapel as he groaned. "You're not _allowed_ to kiss anyone else, _only me._ Do you hear me?" he whispered hotly before pulling back to look at her.

"Mmm, I hear you," she whispered with a smirk.

"Can't _fuck_ anyone else, either," he smiled seductively as he lifted the hem of her dress up to her hips roughly and pulled her in for another deep, sloppy kiss. "You're _mine,_" he mumbled into her lips, a smile still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

They didn't get any sleep that night, nor did they even make it to the bedroom.


	5. Lanakila

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: I have decided to rate this chapter as M to cover my bases. It's semi-smutty._

_Apologies for the wait! RL got in my way big time. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Mahalo for all the aloha, nonetheless!_

* * *

Steve hurriedly parked his blue Silverado pickup in the short-term surface car park at the Honolulu International Airport. Mary's plane had been landed, and he and Kono were running late as they were, well, _you know._

"She's probably so pissed right now," Kono said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Just as she was about to open the passenger door, he grabbed her arm to prevent her from hopping out of his truck.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on," he said seductively with a smile. "What's your hurry? We're already late, anyway." He then kissed her hard and possessively, taking ownership of her lips.

She didn't fight his kiss at first; she giggled and willingly opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to massage hers. He wriggled himself as close as he could to her as his hand slid up her thigh. She spread her legs apart as he unbuttoned her pants, reaching into her panties to feel her warm and wet entrance against his fingers.

Just as he was rubbing circles over her clit, she grumbled into his mouth, breaking their kiss and slightly pushing him off of her. His hand froze in place as he looked at her with a confused expression.

"We have to go," she giggled as she took his soaked hand out of her panties to lick his fingers clean.

He groaned, pushing his erection down. "You're evil."

"Don't worry, you can taste me later," she said before placing a chaste but promising kiss on his lips. She buttoned her pants back up then hopped out of the truck, closing her door behind her.

"_So_ fucking evil," he mumbled and shook his head in exasperation before climbing out of his truck.

…

Steve watched the baggage carousel grind to a halt. "I don't know where she is," Kono called out as she walked back toward where he was standing, his arms crossed over his broad chest. She then halted next to him and pointed to the unclaimed luggage on the carousel. "I'm assuming those are hers."

A TSA security guard then approached them with a hesitant look on his face. Kono and Steve looked at him then at each other with the same unsurprised looks on their faces. "This is about my sister, isn't it?" Steve asked flatly as he looked back at the security guard.

Kono and Steve each grabbed a piece of luggage off of the carousel before following the security guard to the airport's holding room where Mary was apprehended for disabling a smoke detector in the airplane lavatory.

As the guard left to speak to his supervisor about releasing Mary to Kono and Steve's professional custody, Kono walked over to Mary, whose hand was handcuffed to the table. "You couldn't wait five and a half hours?" Kono laughed as she hugged her.

"Shut up," Mary chuckled softly as she hugged her with her free arm.

As Mary looked up, she saw her brother looking at her with an angered expression. The softness in her smile suddenly turned to a sharp nervousness. He sat down on the other end of the table and turned his head toward a window, a disappointed look now filling his face. Kono pulled away to see the flushed look on Mary's face. She turned around to see Steve with his arms crossed as he stared out of the window. She then snickered to Mary, "Someone's in trouble."

Mary just looked at her sourly before turning back to Steve to apologize.

…

Kono's phone alerted her of a text message. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and smiled as she read the dirty text message from Steve.

Chin, who was driving them toward Kaka‛ako Beach Park where their suspect had parked a car he had stolen, noticed her smiling. "Why are you smiling? Who texted you?" he asked, snapping her out of her reverie.

She hurriedly stuffed her phone back into her pocket. "No one and nothing important," she said unconvincingly.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. He had a hunch at who it was. "It's a boy, isn't it?" he asked in a teasing tone as he played dumb. "Who is he? Is he cute?"

Still smiling, she held her hand up to his face, causing him to shut his mouth. "Okay, _leave me alone._"

"I knew something was up. You got that _glow._"

She looked at him as if he had offended her. "Okay, _I_ do not glow."

"Uh-huh. Give it up. What's his name?"

"You'll find out when the time is right."

"Oh, alright, be like that. But just remember who's going to walk you down the aisle."

"Okay, calm down. I don't even know how serious we are or are going to be," she said almost disappointingly.

"If you say so." His tone then changed to one of a more serious nature, yet his mouth was still curved into a smile. "So, what's up with you and Steve?"

Her eyes widened with nervousness as she attempted to avoid his gaze. "What do you mean?" she asked in a confused tone.

"I mean, you _do_ still like him, don't you?"

"Uh…" she stammered, unsure of what to say. Luckily, they had arrived at their destination. "That's it, right there," she changed the subject as she pointed to a car that matched their description. Chin just smiled to himself as he doubled parked the car.

…

Kono entered Steve's office to find Mary sitting on his couch with a bored look across her face. "I thought you might be hungry," Kono said to her as she proffered a takeout bag from Rainbow Drive-In.

"Oh, my God, I love you," Mary said as she grabbed the bag out of her hands.

"Yeah, you better love me," Kono laughed as she sat next to her on the couch.

"I do," Mary said as she took the box of loco moco out of the bag. "So, talk to me. How are things with my brother?"

"Amazing," Kono said unconvincingly as she leaned back onto the couch.

Mary clattered her fork and knife down onto the Styrofoam takeout box and turned her entire body toward her. "Okay, what's wrong? And _don't_ try to tell me that it's nothing."

Kono sighed as she combed a hand through her hair. "I've been in love with your brother since I was a preschooler. Now that I have him, I don't want to lose him."

Mary just smiled at her sympathetically. "You know, I think he's falling for you. He just doesn't realize it yet."

"You think so?"

"Hell yeah. From what I've seen in the last few hours, he's definitely into you."

Kono then sat there silently for a couple of moments before plastering on an obviously fake smile and speaking in a soft voice. "You're probably right. You know him better than I do."

Mary continued to look at her with concern. Kono just rolled her eyes in protest. "I'm _fine._ Don't look at me like that."

Mary looked at her with a raised eyebrow, unconvinced by her declaration. "You're a liar," she accused before turning back to her food.

…

"He's gone. I'm sorry, there's no other cameras on that road," Kono sighed as she watched the black Mercedes disappear into a tunnel through a camera feed.

Steve closed his eyes in disappointment and nodded. "Okay, it's okay. Thank you. I'll see you in a bit," he said softly as he hung up the phone. The sweetness in his voice made Chin raise his eyebrow in amusement. _Good God, they suck at being discreet._

"Wait a sec," Steve murmured before calling a Naval Intelligence officer named Catherine and turning the speaker function on once again.

"I was beginning to think you forgot about me," Catherine smiled as she pressed on her Bluetooth earpiece to answer his call.

Instead of responding, he changed the subject. "Cath, I need your help. I'm pursuing a suspect in a black Mercedes. He's headed west into the Halawa Valley. Can you give me a visual?"

She sighed before murmuring, "This could raise some flags."

"Classify it as an NSA request for a Black Ops Drop Box, okay? Come on, Cath. I need this."

"You know, you're like the good looking guy in high school who _knows_ how cute he is and just won't take 'no' for an answer," she said as she pulled up the information that he needed, causing him to clear his throat in discomfort. "Alright, I'm sending you the grid coordinates and imagery now."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You owe me a date during my next leave," she commanded.

"Uh…" he stammered as he looked at Chin from the corners of his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"What? Why not?" she asked softly, though with an obviously shocked tone.

"I've been seeing someone for a few weeks now."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "You're a couple? Exclusively?"

"It's getting there, yeah," he smiled.

She was momentarily shocked into silence before she recovered. "Well, well, who would've thought that Steve McGarrett would _ever_ consider going steady with a girl. She must be something special."

"She is," he replied with an obvious smirk. "I'll repay you, somehow. I'll buy you a beer."

"Oh, you are _not_ getting off that easy," she smirked. "Let me know if you change your mind."

He then abruptly hung up the phone and cleared his throat once more, awkwardness rolling off of him. Chin, who had been glaring at him suspiciously during the entirety of his phone call, spoke up. "Who are you dating?"

"Oh, uh, it's no one you know," Steve uttered nervously.

"Uh-huh, okay," Chin said as he looked away from him, unconvinced. Steve sighed inwardly as his phone buzzed with a text message. "There," he said, getting Chin's attention. "Address that."

…

Steve found Mary standing over their father's gravestone, small tears slowly falling from her eyes. He walked up next to her, placing his hand over her shoulder as he looked down at the gravestone, sighing quietly.

She noticed him holding a brown paper bag in his hand from the corners of her eyes. She then sniffed before wiping her eyes. "What's that?"

He looked at his sister and smiled, holding up the bag for her to see. "Our picnic." He then sat down cross-legged on the soft patch of grass next to the gravestone. She chuckled softly as she followed suit, laying her purse down onto the grass.

She watched him take the food out from the bag with appreciative eyes. "Thanks for this," she smiled. "I've missed you."

He smiled back as he handed her food to her. "I've missed you, too, sis."

She continued to smile at him. "So, talk to me. How are things with my best friend?" she asked as she took a bite.

"I really like her," he nodded as he swallowed his bite.

"Good, you better," she muttered. "She's a little insecure about you, you know."

He furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "Why is she insecure?"

"She's liked you since she and I were children. Now that you two are finally dating, she's afraid that something might go wrong. She's not gonna tell you that, of course. She wants to appear strong."

He looked down at the grass underneath his feet thoughtfully. He then smiled softly as he looked back up at Mary. "Catherine wanted me to go on a date with her."

She then looked at him suspiciously, raising her eyebrow in disapproval. "Is this the same Catherine I met in Coronado?"

"Yeah."

The disapproval in her eyes changed to pleading. "Oh, Jesus, Steve. You better not have agreed. You know how much I don't like her."

"I'm aware, you've told me enough times," he deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, I rejected her."

She looked at him with a big grin, amazed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. You know I don't do commitment, but I think Kono's worth trying."

"Aww!" she squealed as she walked on her knees to him, hugging him from his side. "You're falling in love with her!"

He just chuckled as he hugged her back. "Okay, calm down. I'm not quite there yet."

She pulled back from her hug, her expression changing suddenly. "I swear, if you hurt Kono at all, I will end you. I don't care if you're my brother."

"Gee, thanks. I love you, too," he scoffed with a laugh.

…

"_Finally,_" Kono answered her front door with a seductive smile and tone of voice, clad in black lingerie and high heels. "I was about to start without you."

Steve just stood stoically on her porch as he looked at her with a heavy heart, causing her to look back at him in question. "What is it?"

Instead of responding with words, however, he just lifted her into his arms, her legs wrapping around his hips on reflex as she breathed nervously before him. "Steve?"

Still without speaking, he gently kicked her front door closed behind him and walked them into her bedroom, his hand threading through her hair as he placed a long, soft kiss onto her lips.

He gently dropped her down onto her bed before slowly climbing on top of her. His eyes still glistened with thought as he gazed endearingly at her, his hand softly caressing the side of her face. Concern never left her eyes as she locked her gaze with him. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he nodded softly with a smile. "I just like being here with you, like this."

She smiled as he dropped his head down to kiss her longingly and sweetly.

He then pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes once more. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now. You know that, right?"

She was silent momentarily as she studied his face. His eyes were honest and sincere, which gave her confidence in knowing that he really wanted her. She then smiled as she nodded her head and threaded her hands through his hair. "Yeah, I know."


	6. Nalowale

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: This was my most favorite chapter to write so far, so I hope you like it, too!_

_Mahalo nui loa to all who have taken the time to read and review this story! I'm so glad that you all are enjoying this. And as always, mahalo nui loa to Tiana-P for reasons she already knows._

* * *

Steve slowly opened his eyes as he woke up to the sun filtering in through his window. His arm was wrapped firmly around Kono's waist as she slept facing away from him, pressed into his torso as closely as possible. Their clothes were thrown haphazardly around his room, and only a thin bed sheet covered their naked bodies.

He smiled as he lifted his head slightly off of his pillow, inhaling her hypnotic scent as he began placing soft kisses along her shoulder blade. She groaned softly and smiled, arching her back into him briefly before opening her eyes and turning her body completely around to face him, her leg wrapping around his waist.

A smile was still on his features as he captured her lips with a chaste but sweet kiss, moaning softly against her mouth. "Good morning, Officer," he said in his sexy morning voice.

"Good morning, Commander," she moaned sleepily, barely brushing her nose against his and locking her lips with his, her arm wrapping around his torso.

He moaned into her kiss as he pulled her closer. "Sleep well?" he asked as he combed her hair away from her face.

"Mmm," she smiled. "It felt good to sleep in."

"Yeah, it did, especially after the night we had last night," he muttered huskily as he kept his face close to hers, kissing her again chastely.

"Uh-huh, and you said you were _tired._"

"When did I say that?" he asked in almost a whisper, his smile still apparent and his voice still husky.

"You cancelled our dinner reservations because you said you wanted to sleep," she laughed softly as she pulled her head away slightly, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

He tried to look serious but a smile remained on his lips. "I did. I wanted to sleep with _you._"

She chuckled and rolled her eyes as she inched her head back close to his, her voice just as husky as his. "You could have just said that you wanted to fuck. You_ lied._"

"Mmm, I'm _not_ sorry," he smiled into her lips. "I need you _more_ than sleep."

She kissed the corner of his mouth, a smile still plastered on her face. "Mmm, yeah, I'm sure."

His smile turned into a grin as he traced circles into her lower back. "I guess I still owe you a first date."

"Yeah, you do," she nodded.

"Well, it's our day off today. We can have breakfast on the beach."

After thinking momentarily, she shook her head in disagreement, scrunching up her nose. "Nah, _dinner_ on the beach tonight sounds better."

"Well, what do you suggest we do until then?"

She then pushed herself against him without a word, her pelvic bone grinding into his as her smile became seductive.

"_Oh,_" he breathed, causing her to laugh softly. "Uh-huh," she replied, nodding her head as her smile grew wider.

"Mmm, good idea," he groaned as he pushed her back into his bed, kissing her hard as he hovered slightly on top of her.

As his mouth made its way to her neck, his phone began vibrating on his nightstand, causing her to grumble in disappointment. "Mmm, just ignore it, baby," he said in-between kisses.

As soon as his phone stopped vibrating, it began again. "God damn it," he grumbled under his breath as he buried his head in her neck. She giggled and placed a kiss on his temple before he raised a lethargic hand into the air, lazily fumbling for his phone.

As they both looked at his phone's screen, they saw Governor Jameson's name on the caller ID. "There goes our day off," she muttered into his clavicle disappointingly. He sighed in agreement as he reluctantly answered his phone.

…

"There's something different about you today," Danny said curiously as he walked alongside Steve into the medical examiner's office, a walking cane still assisting his mobility. "You, uh, you get a new haircut?"

"Nah," Steve said nonchalantly as he kept walking.

"New cargo pants?" Danny asked as he looked up at him, attempting to match his partner's pace. Steve just nodded "no" as a faint smile appeared upon his lips.

"What was _that?_" Danny asked with a shocked tone in his voice as he pointed a finger to Steve's mouth.

"What?" Steve asked in a confused tone.

"I believe you just smiled," Danny smiled at his own words. "You almost appear to be happy."

"You don't think I'm a happy person?" Steve asked genuinely as he stopped in his tracks.

Danny just chuckled as he, too, stopped in his tracks. "You know, I'm sure you have your moments, like when _Guns & Ammo_ puts out its holiday gift guide, or when a _Rambo_retrospective comes on TV. But when the governor calls us down to the ME's on a Saturday, I ask you, what is it that you could be so happy about?"

Steve's eyebrows rose as he pursed his lips in realization. "Oh, you had Grace this weekend."

"Yeah, but _don't_ change the subject here," Danny snapped sourly before smiling, nodding his head to him. "Spill! You're doing it with someone, aren't you? Who is it?"

Steve's head snapped toward the entrance as the door swung open. _Saved by the governor. _"I can't tell you," he smiled. "The governor's here."

"_You got lucky,_" Danny muttered lowly, raising his eyebrows as he pointed another finger at him. "I'll get it out of you."

…

Kono, who was wearing nothing but Steve's light blue button-up dress shirt, walked down the hallway to his bathroom. Just as she reached for the bathroom door handle, Mary opened the door from the other end. "Oh!" Kono squealed, startled by her presence. "Mary…"

"Hi," Mary greeted with a big smile.

Kono squinted her face in confusion. "Did you come home last night?"

"I did, and you kept me up," Mary smirked.

"Oh, God," Kono muttered as she buried her face in her hands, embarrassment flooding her.

"Yeah, you said that _a lot,_" Mary said, still smirking. "Now I know why you're so reluctant to spend the night here. Your walls are _soundproof._"

Kono groaned as she pinched the bridge between her eyes. "I scarred you for life, didn't I?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Kono groaned again in even more embarrassment, causing Mary's smile to grow wider. "Don't worry. Now that I've broken up with Matt, I'll be bringing a lot of guys around here soon, so it'll be a fair fight."

"Okay, I'm not going to compete with your vocal chords," Kono said flatly as she rolled her eyes and walked around her to get to the sink. She picked up her own toothbrush from the counter and squeezed toothpaste onto it before looking back at her, who was now standing where she'd been before. "We all know you're louder."

"That I am," Mary said in agreement as she leaned onto the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest. "So, when's the date?"

Kono pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth and spat the toothpaste into the sink before speaking. "Seriously, how _thin_ are these damn walls?"

Mary just smiled in response, causing Kono to roll her eyes before responding. "Hopefully tonight if we can."

"Aww, so cute!" Mary squealed as she shrugged her shoulders with a smile. Kono just chuckled and rolled her eyes again.

Mary then pursed her lips, her voice now softer. "Give me your house key before you leave for work. I'll sleep there tonight."

Kono smiled, wiping her face dry. "Really?"

"Really, only for you," Mary said genuinely as she walked over to her, placing both hands on her shoulders.

Kono grabbed her forearms and smiled back. "You're the greatest friend, you know that?"

"I know," Mary shrugged and smiled.

…

Steve parked his truck a couple of blocks away from the nightclub to drop Kono off for her undercover mission. "Are you sure you don't have anything to wear that's not so_revealing?_" he said as he wagged a finger at her thin clothing.

"Aww, don't worry," she whispered as she grabbed his hand and placed it on the crotch of her extremely short shorts before brushing her lips against his. "I won't let anyone touch me."

He growled as he captured her lips, kissing her hard while massaging her heat over her shorts. "You better not."

"I won't," she smiled as she kissed him passionately once more, eliciting a soft moan from his touch. Just as she grabbed the door handle, his voice stopped her.

"Hey," he called out, causing her to look back at him.

"What is it?" she asked, registering the fear in his eyes.

"_E malu 'oe,_" he breathed as he ran a hand down her face, his thumb stroking against her cheek.

She smiled as she kissed him again, her hand resting at his neck and her thumb stroking along his jaw. "I will." She placed one last kiss on his lips before climbing out of the truck.

…

"Did you change your mind about me?" Catherine asked through her Bluetooth in her ear.

"No, and that's not why I'm calling you," Steve said with a sigh.

Despite being disappointed, she smiled. "Okay, why am I getting the feeling that you're about to ask me for another favor?"

"Listen, I'll make it up to you, alright? I'll buy you _two_ beers."

"Alright, you got yourself a deal," she agreed, sighing in defeat. "I'm convinced that you'll change your mind, anyway. What do you need?"

He shook his head in discomfort. "PACOM has a satellite dedicated to Honolulu Harbor. Can you use it to run a scan on radio traffic?"

"Yeah, what am I looking for?" she asked as she began searching for the data he needed.

"Uh, spread spectrum signal in the 400 MHz range, type used by high-end surveillance gear."

"Alright, I think I got a hit on your frequency. I'm tying you in right now."

He then listened to the audio feed through his phone. "Alright, that's our boy. Can you get a vector on the signal source?"

"The west end of the dock. It's coming from a shipping container."

"Thanks, Catherine."

Danny shamelessly interrogated him as soon as he hung up his phone. "_Catherine._ I should've known that's who you were getting right with last night."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I wasn't with Catherine," Steve said flatly as he opened the car door and seated himself.

"Huh," Danny thought as he climbed into the passenger side. "Can I take another stab at it?"

"It's not like you give me a choice," Steve said as he started driving.

"Was it _Kono?_"

Steve struggled for composure, keeping his eyes focused on the road as he sped up. "No," Steve said unconvincingly.

"You liar!" Danny snapped. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Steve continued to avoid his glance as he attempted to maintain a calm and even tone. "No, I wasn't with Kono."

"Alright, then," Danny said with a playful smile and tone. "Then you wouldn't mind if ask her out?"

"No, not at all."

Danny was struggling to keep his face straight. "Good, because I really like her. I should see if she wants to go out for drinks after work. What do you think?"

Steve began clenching his jaw. "Yeah, sure."

"You know, I've been thinking about that kiss we shared a little while ago. I hope she agrees to go out with me. I really want to kiss her again, but I hope that we could do more than that. I want to explore our sexuality together–"

"Okay, okay! You win!" Steve interrupted him, his knuckles now white as his grip on the steering wheel stiffened. "You can't ask her out."

Danny smiled in triumph. "Why not?"

"We're dating, okay?" Steve admitted in a harsh tone.

Danny's smile turned into a grin. "Wow, you were easy to crack."

Annoyance was now engraved in Steve's vocal chords. "Have you known this whole time?"

"No, but it was a good guess," Danny shrugged with a smile still on his face.

"That's stunning detective work. Well done," Steve deadpanned, his face completely serious. "I hope you were kidding about liking her."

"Will you fire me if I say otherwise?" Danny asked, faint playfulness trickling into his voice.

Steve shot him an icy glare, causing Danny to hold up his hands as if surrendering. "Alright with the Navy SEAL Death Stare. I _was_ kidding, don't worry. She's all yours."

…

Kono and Steve were stretched on their sides across a blanket on the sand, their elbows propped up for support. The sun was beginning to set as they had a bottle of wine to consume with two steaks on a hot grill, the smell of cooking meat a tantalizing aroma.

As Steve poured red wine into their glasses, Kono held onto him from behind, her leg wrapped around his hip while a smile on her face. He began proposing a toast as he finished pouring, handing her a glass. "Well, here's to our first date, and to many more dates like this."

She clanked her glass against his before taking a sip, a smile never leaving her features. "I'll toast to that."

"Mmm, that's good," she said as she swallowed her sip. She stared at her glass momentarily before looking out at the view in a fascinated manner. "You know, I can't believe I've never been here before. The view is _amazing._"

He smiled at her as he looked into her eyes then kissed her lips softly. "I'm glad you like it." He then grabbed his pair of tongs to flip the steaks. "How do you like your steak?"

"_Bloody._"

"My kind of girl," he nodded in amazement.

"_Your_ kind of girl, huh?" she smiled as she pressed her lips against his shoulder blade, her arm enveloping his chest.

He turned his head to look at her and smiled. "Definitely." He placed his hand on her neck and stroked her jaw with his thumb, kissing her gently and passionately. He then turned back around to flip the steaks. "It's going to be ready in a minute."

Her smile grew wider as she set her glass on the sand. "You know what?"

"What?" he asked as he turned his head back toward her.

She then held his face securely in one hand. "Make it 'medium'," she said as she locked her lips with his.

"Oh, _oh,_" he mumbled into her mouth as he flipped her to her back, making her giggle and squeal. Setting himself in-between her legs, he leaned forward to kiss her.

* * *

_E malu 'oe – Be safe_


	7. Koʻolauloa

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: 70+ reviews? Wow! Mahalo nui loa! I'm so touched that you take the time to read what I write and tell me how much you enjoy it._

_Hope you enjoy this chapter! I really liked Ben, so I hope I did his character justice. If I didn't ship Kono/Steve so hard, I would seriously ship the fuck out of Ben/Kono, regardless that their ship is sunk._

_As always, mahalo nui loa to Tiana-P for reasons she already knows._

* * *

Most of the world's most talented surfers, both past and present, had converged for the annual Coral Prince Surf Competition. For the first time since her injury, Kono had been invited to appear at the event, so she and Steve drove up the island to world famous Pipeline for the day to partake in the festivities.

Since she still had a few minutes before she had to go out into the water, they decided to kill time and make out inside a private cabana on the shore. The voice of the event's host, Carlton Bass, was faintly heard in the distance among the cheers and excitement of the fans.

"I have to go back out there soon," she said in-between slow kisses, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Steve, who was clad in swimming trunks, had his groin pushed against her waist. "Mmm, but I haven't wished you luck yet," he muttered against her lips as his hands fiddled with the ties of her bikini bottom.

She moaned softly as he tugged her closer, his lips now on her neck as he teasingly undid one of her ties. "You know we don't have time for that," she laughed.

"Mmm, come on, baby," he grinned seductively. "You know I can be quick." His lips went back to hers for a hard, hungry kiss, sending her into ecstasy. She breathlessly pulled away, her eyes now desperate with want. "Okay, you have two minutes," she nodded. He smiled as he abruptly crashed his lips onto hers again and undid the rest of her bikini.

She adjusted her bikini top as she came out of the cabana, her breath still hitching. He then followed suit, stopping just outside of the cabana to tie his swimming trunks in place.

"Hey, come here," he said softly, causing her to turn around. She smiled as he pulled her arm gently toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his went around her waist. "Good luck, for real this time," he smiled as he kissed her nose.

"What are you talking about? You already wished me luck," she kissed him chastely before heading toward the registration tent to grab her surfboard. He just smiled smugly to himself as he started toward the shoreline for a good viewing spot.

…

As Ian and Kono paddled out side-by-side into waist-high peaks, he asked her, "Who is that young man with you? Is he your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, he's something like that," she proclaimed teasingly.

"Well, I'm glad to see you happy," he smiled back sincerely. "It's good to see that you bounced back from your accident and that someone is contributing to your happiness."

"Thanks, Ian. I'm as happy as I can be."

He smiled at her again as he stopped paddling to sit on his surfboard, her following suit on her own surfboard. He breathed in the salty ocean air before continuing to speak. "I've missed this, Kono, being out here with the people that mean the most to me. This is where I want to be."

She looked back toward the shore where the fans were on their feet, cheering and clapping in anticipation. "I think the fans couldn't agree more."

Ian smiled and turned his surfboard around to face the beach as Carlton announced his name over the microphone. "Let's give them a show," he said as he began paddling to catch a forming wave.

The heat of the morning sun soaked into him as he rode the first set, his turns fluid and smooth. However, he jolted as soon as he finished his first turn, falling backwards into the wave. His board flew up in the air, right over the top of the wave.

She began paddling toward him as she continuously called out his name, a stinging panic spreading through her body.

"Kono!" Steve yelled worriedly from his place in the audience before running across the beach toward a lifeguard station. He, along with a lifeguard, pushed the first personal watercraft within reach across the sand and right into the water. Steve then hopped onto it, riding full speed toward them as the lifeguard rode atop a rescue board that was attached to the PWC.

As soon as Steve brought the PWC to a halt beside Ian and Kono, he jumped into the water to assist Kono and the lifeguard in pulling Ian's unconscious body onto the rescue board. "Got him!" the lifeguard claimed as he climbed next to Ian on the rescue board and wrapped his arm around him for support.

"Go," Steve demanded at Kono as he started swimming toward where her surfboard was idly floating. "I'll ride your board back."

Without protest, Kono quickly hopped onto the PWC to ride Ian and the lifeguard back to shore while bystanders huddled in a mass, watching in fear and worry.

As soon as they reached shore, Kono knelt down alongside the lifeguard as he stoically hovered over him, cupping his hands around a bullet that lodged in his chest. "He's been shot. He's dead," he announced.

Kono's mouth hung in shock as she stared at Ian's now deceased body, her eyes quickly flooding anew with tears. Steve, who was now standing behind her, just closed his eyes and sighed before placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them sympathetically.

…

"I want this entire beach on lockdown," Steve addressed a HPD officer who arrived at the scene. "Nobody leaves until we give the order, okay?"

As soon as the officer walked away, Steve immediately averted his eyes back toward Kono, who was kneeling beside Ian's zipped body bag on the sand. Just as he was about to walk up to her, Danny approached him, stopping him in his tracks. "Please tell me you brought extra clothes," he said as he waved his hand at his swimming trunks.

"They're in my truck. Why?" Steve asked in a confused tone.

"Unless you want Chin to suspect something, I suggest you go change," Danny suggested sarcastically, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Shit," Steve muttered under his breath as he quickly glanced down at his swimming trunks.

"Better hurry before he comes," Danny laughed as he saw Chin looking like he was about done interviewing a couple of fans in the crowd.

Steve was in the process of turning around to head to his truck when he noticed Chin walking toward them, laughing and shaking his head with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, too late," Danny said with no concern.

"Fuck you for finding this funny," Steve said sourly as he glared at Danny with anger.

"You're a bit overdressed for the beach," Chin snickered at Danny.

"Hey, I _always_ dress like this," Danny said as he smoothed his tie flat. He then pointed his thumb at Steve. "You should be asking _him_ why he's _underdressed_ for work."

Steve tried his hardest to maintain his composure while restraining himself from punching Danny in the face. Chin scrunched his eyebrows at Steve with bemusement. "Why_are_ you so underdressed? Have you been here this whole time?" Chin questioned.

"Yeah, where have you been?" Danny asked with amusement in his tone.

Steve gritted his jaw before replying. "What? Am I not allowed to be here? Kono's not the only one who loves surfing."

"Right. Sure you do," Danny smiled.

"I'm _from_ Hawaii, Danny. Everyone here loves surfing," he said in a defensive tone.

Chin just tilted his head in suspicion, a smile trying to break out at the corners of his lips. "Did you come here with Kono?"

"Yeah, she invited me," Steve said nonchalantly.

"Huh. Interesting," Chin smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "And where was _my_ invite?"

Instead of answering Chin's question, Steve just cleared his throat before changing the subject completely. "Uh, can we focus, please? We have a case to solve. Besides, we shouldn't be joking around like this." His attention then turned to Kono, who was now standing with her head down, obviously crying as her shoulders shook. His voice turned concerned and soft. "We should be making sure Kono's okay." He wanted to go up to her and kiss her right then, but he knew he couldn't and it was killing him.

Chin and Danny looked at each other with similar thoughts running through their minds. They then turned around to see Kono approaching them slowly, swiftly wiping her tears from her eyes. She met Steve's eyes first, and he just nodded and smiled.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked softly, trying his hardest to keep his hands to himself.

"Yeah, I want to go to the Coral Prince House. Talk to the team, get statements," Kono said, swallowing her anger.

"Kono, we can cover this one for you," Danny insisted, his voice sympathetic.

"No, I want this one," Kono said calmly yet coldly before walking away and toward the surf house.

Steve closed his eyes and sighed deeply, pain obvious in his face. Chin looked at him with understanding. "Go comfort her. She needs it."

Steve just looked at him with an unconvincingly casual tone. "What? No, _you_ should go. You're her cousin. I'm just a friend, is all."

"We both know that's not true," Chin smiled softly as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "_Go._"

Steve took a moment to fathom what he had just said. When he finally found his voice again, he murmured with a smile, "Thanks, Chin." Chin just nodded and smiled another smile.

Steve ran through clusters of people to catch up with Kono, who was almost at the staircase of the house.

"Kono!" Steve called, causing her to turn around. Kono's eyes were still full of pain as she turned around to look at him. Steve's eyes squinted in sympathy as he gently grabbed a hold of her arm. He then began to slowly pull her into his arms. "Come here," he basically whispered.

He buried his nose in her hair as he hugged her tightly. Her eyes began to water immediately and she couldn't help but sob in his arms.

Chin and Danny stood stoically with arms crossed loosely over their chests as they watched Kono and Steve embrace. "So you _do_ know about them," Danny grinned without taking his eyes off of them.

"Oh, yeah," Chin nodded. "I was just waiting for them to admit it."

Danny chuckled. "Yeah, I figured as much." He then finally turned his head to look at him. "Do you approve?"

Chin smiled genuinely as he looked back at him. "Yeah, I actually do." His face then twisted in confusion and disappointment. "Wait a minute, you knew about them? And you didn't tell me?"

"I, uh," Danny stammered, his face panic-stricken. He then pointed toward the surf house, his voice wavering. "I have to go interview people."

Chin just laughed and scoffed as he quickly walked away from him.

…

Kono overheard Chin, Danny and Steve reviewing the ballistics analysis on one of the monitors on the wall as she walked into the briefing room.

"The ME said the angle of entry was about 30 degrees," she called out, causing them to turn around.

"Cuz," Chin said as he closed the video window by tapping a command on the touchscreen table computer. "I didn't see you there."

Steve swallowed as he saw the pain still in her eyes. He slowly walked over to where she was standing. "Hey," he said softly as he grazed his fingertips over her arm. "Why do you sit this one out? Take the day."

"No. I'm fine," she nodded, her voice cracking and soft.

Chin then walked over to them, a sympathetic smile on his features. "Cuz, take the day."

Kono tried her hardest not to burst out into tears as she held her composure. "You know I can't do that," she said as she looked at both Chin and Steve.

"Cuz," Chin began softly. "Part of doing the job is knowing when you're not the one to do the job."

Kono's eyes then averted to Steve as he took his turn to speak. "Go on," Steve nodded and whispered as he gently pinched her chin, his eyes pleading. "Get some rest."

Kono just sighed as she nodded at his request, her lips in a firm line. Steve watched her walk away with a heavy heart, fighting the urge to run after her. "She'll be okay, Steve," Chin said to him reassuringly.

Steve turned to nod at him. He then smiled a little. "Can we talk over drinks later?"

"Sure," Chin chuckled.

…

Danny tapped on Kono's office door before grasping the handle to let himself in. "Hey," Danny greeted as he walked into her office, stopping just right in front of her desk. "What are you still doing here? Your almost-boyfriend told you to beat it."

She let out a small chuckle as she closed her laptop shut and sat back in her chair, her eyes shining as she held her tears back. "I like how you called him my 'almost-boyfriend'."

"That's what he is, isn't he?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he's my boyfriend now."

He shot her a challenging look as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah. I mean, he's always wanting to be with me. I figured it's implied without saying."

He just shook his head, his lips pursed. "You two suck at communicating."

"We live in Democratic America, Danny. There is no such thing as traditional dating rules anymore," she defended with a chuckle.

"You two really do spend too much time together. It's scary how alike you sound now." His tone then turned placating, his eyes full of plead but a smile still on his face. "Look, you really should scram. I really don't want to see that face he makes when we don't do what he tells us to do."

"His 'constipated look'?" she smiled.

His smile disappeared instantly as his expression turned worried. "Shit, do I say that out loud?"

She chuckled and sat up straight. "I was just about to leave," she said as she held up a sticky note that she had wrote on. "I was just looking up an address."

"You're not supposed to be working," he said disappointingly, his facial expression matching his tone.

"I'm just going to see someone," she said as she got up out of her chair and grabbed her keys off of her desk.

He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "And who's this _someone?_"

"An old friend who I haven't seen or talked to in years," she said as she walked around her desk to stand in front of him. "He was very close to Ian, so I figured I could ask him some questions while we catch up."

He bobbed his head, taken aback. "Your friend is a _he?_"

She rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. "He's no one you should worry about."

"Oh, I'm not the one who should be worried," he chuckled. He then pointed his hand toward Steve's office. "That would be your boss-slash-lover. Your 'friend' won't be seeing the light of day."

…

"Excuse me," Kono called out to a man who was taking water samples along Waimea Bay. She kept walking toward him as she continued speaking. "The guy at Giovanni's said Ben Bass was down here. Have you seen him?"

"I don't know," the man said as he got up from bending down and turned around to look at her. The man had a smile on his face. "Have you?"

Her eyes widened as a smile appeared on her face. "_Ben?_" she asked in shock as she laughed.

"Kono," Ben laughed back as he wrapped his arms around her for a hug. She hugged him back as she continued to laugh in joy.

As she pulled away from his embrace, she swiped her hand through his hair, messing it up. "Where's your hair?"

He bent to stare at her mouth, his eyes squinting in confusion. "Where's your retainer?"

"Fair enough," she laughed. "Well, look at you, Mr. Environmentalist. You work for Ocean Protectors now?"

"Yeah, yeah, I do," he said proudly. "How you been, Kono?" He tilted his head slightly as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you with that Navy guy yet?"

Her mouth opened as she smiled. "I can't believe you remember Steve."

"How could I forget?" he asked as if taken aback, a smile still on his features. "You were so obsessed with him for the longest time. Tristan and I made bets on when you'd make the first move. I still owe him to this day."

"Wow, some great friends you guys are," she chuckled and scoffed. "I finally made the first move a couple of months ago."

"_Finally!_" he exclaimed with a slight slur in his voice. "Not that it matters, I still owe Tristan."

She just laughed as she punched him lightly on his bicep. "Oww," he said playfully as he rubbed his bicep, faking a pained face. He stopped scrunching his face as he continued to speak. "How that's going?"

"It's going great," she nodded confidently and smiled. "We're dating now."

"Good for you," he said softly, his tone genuine. "How's life otherwise?"

"Good. I'm a cop now actually."

"Of course, it's your family business." His face then turned serious. "Are you here as a cop?"

Her face turned sympathetic, her lips now a firm line as she sighed softly. "And as a friend. I want to talk to you about Ian."

…

"Baby, I'm okay. Stop worrying about me," Kono said to Steve over the phone sincerely and softly as she walked alongside Ben on the densely packed sand, the sun slowly sinking over the distant horizon. "I'll come over later tonight, okay? I'll call you when I'm headed over."

She smiled as she hung up and slid her phone into one of the back pockets of her jeans. Ben looked at her and smiled, his tone genuine and sincere. "It's refreshing to know that you're in good hands. He seems to really care about you."

"I'm really happy with him," she nodded.

"Good, I like when you're happy." He then nudged her arm with his elbow. "Tell him I'll kick his ass if he hurts you."

"I'd like to see you try," she laughed.

"Hey! I can fight, too!" he claimed defensively.

"Yeah, right! I always used to beat you when we sparred!"

He squinted his eyes in playful anger, pointing at her. "Shut up. Don't remind me," he mumbled, causing her to smile. She then looked at her surroundings in amazement as they stepped off the sand into a tented community next to Kawela Bay. "You live _here?_ On the beach?" she asked.

"Over a year now," he smiled.

"I've driven past this place so many times but have never stopped to check it out," she spoke with regret.

He sighed in disappointment and disgust. "People _speed_ past it. They think we're a bunch of homeless meth addicts."

A young boy then ran right in front of them, causing them to halt to avoid colliding with him. "Ben's got a girlfriend!" the young boy teased without stopping in his tracks.

"_Ex,_" Ben called out and laughed as he and Kono continued to walk.

She opened her mouth in shock and laughed. "Why do you have to be so bitter?"

"I'm not. You know we're cool," he laughed back as he stopped walking and turned to face her. "You know, most of these people have got jobs and cars and families. It costs millions of dollars to buy a house here. Instead of moving off the land of their ancestors, they choose to live this way."

"Who owns the land? The State?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice saddened. "The neighbors are trying to get rid of us."

"I can't imagine they love a tent city in the middle of 'Mansionville'," she shrugged.

"There's been a lot of threats, some damage," he said as he pointed to graffiti on a tree stump. "It's getting worse."

"What can we do about it?"

He was taken aback by her question. "_We?_"

"Yes, _we,_" she smiled, rolling her eyes.

"I like that," he said teasingly. "Just like old times."

She swatted his chest lightly with one hand. "Hey, I can still be in your life if you want me to be."

"Why do you always have to hit me?" he laughed. "Of course I want you in my life. You talk as if I don't miss you."

…

Ben and Kono sat at a picnic table as they finished eating their dinner. They had begun reminiscing on their days with the Coral Prince surf team and talking about their lives after their short-lived surfing careers. Ben took a sip of his drink before continuing to speak. "I lived in Bali for a year, and then I got a call one day saying that my mom was sick, so I came back."

"And you stayed," Kono smiled warmly.

He nodded as he looked up at the sky. "This place," he muttered as a smile spread across his features. He then looked back down at her. "_Kama'aina._ It's _always_ been my home."

She just smiled at him as she watched him get up off the picnic bench. "Come on, I want to show you something," he said as he extended his hand out to her. She took his hand, letting him pull her off the bench. "_Come on,_" he laughed he led her to his test house.

She admired and looked around his tent house as he grabbed a stack of photographs. He found the photograph that he was looking for, and he smiled as he showed it to her. "Hey, you recognize those two kids?"

She looked at the photograph with much interest, a big smile on her face. "That was the day you won the championship," she recalled fondly.

"You blew out your knee. After that, everything changed," he said with much sadness in his voice. He then recovered his smile, his voice full of bliss as he pointed at the photograph. "But this moment right here, man, life was_ good._"

She suddenly felt a rush of guilt spread over her. "You know I don't regret us, right?"

"I know you don't," he said as he looked back at her, her eyes now saddened as she looked down at the ground.

He pinched her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. "Hey. I told you, I am _not_ bitter at all, okay? I know what we had was special. I was lucky to have my chance with you," he said sincerely.

She took in what he said before nodding, a smile now on her face. He placed a kiss on her cheek before flashing her a soft smile. "I'm seriously so happy for you," he smiled back before placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks, Benbo," she expressed gratefully as she rested a hand along his jawline, her eyes now meeting his. "I still care about you, you know?"

"I know. Your Navy man should be jealous of me," he said teasingly with a straight face. She just laughed and shook her head.

All of a sudden, they heard chaos and screams from his friends and neighbors. They ran outside and saw masked individuals torching and vandalizing their goods and properties.

…

Steve rested his arm against the doorframe to Chin's office as he impatiently watched for Kono to arrive, worry written all over his face. "Steven, stop worrying. She's fine, alright? You already talked to her," Danny assured as he leaned his back against the other end of the doorframe.

As she entered through the double doors of the main office entrance, Steve straightened up and walked up to her. "Are you okay?" he asked tensely, placing his hands on both sides of her face.

She placed her hands on both sides of his waist as she looked into his eyes softly. "Yeah, I'm okay," she nodded in assurance.

He sighed deeply in relief as he kept his hands in place and kissed her chastely but with a desperate edge. As he pulled away from their kiss, she hugged him with her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer as he hugged her back. "I'm sorry I worried you," she muttered against his neck.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he nodded as he spoke against her temple, placing a light kiss on it.

…

As Kono walked toward the parking lot, she noticed Steve sitting on the bed of his pickup truck, waiting patiently for her. He hopped off the truck bed and slammed the tailgate shut when he noticed her approaching him, a smile spreading quickly across his face. She smiled back as she stopped just inches from him.

"Hey there, sailor," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted back softly as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "Let me get that for you." He then grabbed her surfboard under her arm and set it into the truck bed.

Just as he was about to secure it into place with tie-down straps, she grabbed his arm, causing him to turn his body to her. "Hey, come here," she smiled as she pulled him close for a kiss. "Thank you," she muttered into his mouth before kissing him again.

He moaned into her kiss. "Whatever I did, I want to do it again. I like the reward I get."

She giggled as she pulled away slightly, her arms around his neck. "I'm thanking you for everything, especially being here with me."

He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, his fingers threading into her hair. "Of course. You know there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you." She smiled as she kissed him again.

As soon as they broke away from their kiss, Ben approached them, raising his hand apologetically. "Excuse me, sorry for interrupting."

"It's okay," Kono smiled as she and Steve let each other go. She shook her head after a sudden realization that she hasn't yet introduced Steve to Ben. "You know, I don't think you two have been introduced yet."

Ben tilted his head to the side after his own realization, his eyes now locked on Steve. "No, uh, I saw him earlier when he arrested Carlton, but I didn't talk to him. My apologies." He then extended his hand out for him to shake. "Name's Ben Bass."

Steve gave him a small smile and shook his hand. "Steve McGarrett, her _boyfriend._" Kono couldn't help her look of surprise as he referred to himself as her boyfriend for the first time.

"It's nice to finally meet you. She doesn't shut up about you."

Steve was taken aback with what he said. "She doesn't shut up about me, huh?" he smiled, grabbing a hold of her waist and placing a quick kiss on her temple. Kono just rolled her eyes and smiled, embarrassment creeping into her cheeks.

Ben smiled at their fondness for one another. He then locked eyes with Steve once more, his finger now pointing in warning. "You take care of her, you hear me?"

"I will," Steve drawled as he looked at her, his eyes filled with promise and sincerity. Kono smiled at him warmly in response.

"Look, I don't want to keep you two from anything." Ben then moved his eyes toward Kono. "I just wanted to make sure we were still on for lunch next week."

"Yeah, of course," Kono said to Ben as she hugged him. She then looked at him as she pulled away. "I'll see you then."

Ben smiled before turning to walk away. "See ya, Steve."

As soon as Ben walked away, Steve walked in front of her with his arms crossed. "You're gonna have lunch with your ex?"

"It's not like it's a date," she said, rolling her eyes before giving him a kiss. "You can come with us if you want."

"You bet your ass I will," he scoffed, his eyebrow raised almost comically.

She just smiled, causing him confusion. "What?" he asked, trying to fight a smile.

"You called yourself my _boyfriend,_" she pointed out with a big smile, her arms now back around his neck.

He smiled as he wrapped his arms back around her waist. "Isn't that what I am?"

"It was just nice to hear you say it," she shrugged nonchalantly.

They kissed chastely but fervently as he slid one of his hands up to where her jaw met her neck. He then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before getting back to securing her surfboard.

Right as he was done securing it, he noticed her looking at the ocean, remnants of hurt still in her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he hugged her from the side, his lips lingering on her temple. "You okay?"

She smiled softly as she leaned into him, her eyes trained on the ground. "Did you ever have a teacher that turned you around? Someone that made you look at everything in a whole new way?"

"Yeah, actually," he said thoughtfully. "Mrs. Stojak."

She pulled her head back to look at him, her eyes squinting in disbelief. "_Really?_ Out of all people?"

"Hey," he snapped defensively yet playfully as his eyebrows rose. "'Till I met her, I thought that the Cold War was fought in Alaska."

"You're so smart," she laughed flatly.

"Hush, woman," he said between gritted teeth, rolling his eyes as he playfully bit her nose. "Why were you asking, anyway?"

She paused in thought before responding. "Well, Ian was _my_ Mrs. Stojak, and surfing was more than just a sport to him. It was the Earth and the sun and the sky and the water and the heart. It was everything, and he passed that on to his surfers, and it made us better people. I'm glad I was able to pay him back and bring justice to his death."

He smiled as he brought his head down for another kiss. "You have an amazing heart, you know that?"

"Thanks," she smiled back.

"You're welcome, _girlfriend._" He brushed his nose against hers, earning him another smile from her.

…

Chin was already sitting at a table with a Blue Hawaii cocktail drink in front of him when Steve walked into the Tropics Bar & Grill with a nervous face. "You need to catch up," he called out with a smile as he lifted his drink. "I'm already on my second one."

Steve pulled out a chair across from him to sit down on. After ordering his drink, Steve looked at Chin reluctantly, his heart thumping fast in his chest. "I don't know why I'm so nervous to talk to you."

"You're the one who asked to talk, brah," Chin said nonchalantly before taking a sip of his drink.

"I know," Steve said, chuckling lightly to himself. "Look, we were going to tell you sooner, but we wanted to find the right time. I just hope you know that I care for Kono very much, and that I'm not going to hurt her."

"I know," Chin said as he took another sip.

Steve was taken aback, obviously expecting a different response. "Wait, say again?"

Chin chuckled and shook his head in amusement as he put his drink down on the table. "_I know._ I trust you with her. Just don't defile her in front of me."

Steve scoffed, clearly still confused. "You're okay with me being with her?"

"Look, Kono has had a crush on you since she was a child. I'm sure she's happy now that she's finally with you. I'm not going to deny her happiness. Besides, I've always been fond of you. You really are a good guy. You took care of her a lot, and you still do. I'm indebted to you."

Steve sighed inwardly as he smiled at him. "Thanks, Chin. It really means a lot to me that you approve."

"You're welcome," Chin smiled.

After Steve received his drink, Chin spoke up again. "Now, stop being nervous. Drink up."

Steve just laughed as he held up his drink to toast him.

* * *

_kama'aina – one who has lived in Hawaii for a long time_


	8. Hoʻapono

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: Thank you so much to my followers and reviewers for being so fantastic with your support. I never expected this to take off so quickly. Much aloha!_

_In this chapter, I am re-introducing James, Steve's childhood best friend. A little background on him: He followed Steve into the Navy after high school and is still active to this day. He was a fun character to write so I hope you enjoy him as much as I did!_

_My endless thanks goes to Tiana-P for reasons she already knows. Also, a big thank you to quisinart4 for majorly supporting my writings and for proofreading this chapter. You are such a sweetheart!_

* * *

Kono and Steve were facing each other as they slept naked on their sides with barely a gap between them, his arm loosely draped around her waist as their breaths brushed each other's face. He twitched and woke up to the sound of his doorbell ringing, his eyes opening in surprise. He groaned into his pillow as he unwillingly rolled out of bed, grabbing his boxer briefs, sweatpants and T-shirt from the floor.

"Mmm, come back to bed," she mumbled as she blindly reached out for him and wriggled slightly, savoring the feel of his soft cotton sheets against her skin.

He chuckled at her as he slid his clothes on. He then walked back to his bed, pressing his hands and one of his knees on his mattress to support himself as he hovered over her. "I would love nothing more, but I have to answer the door. The son of a bitch has rung the doorbell five times already and I'm about ready to kick their ass."

She just grumbled into her pillow in response, causing him to smile as he kissed her just below her ear. "Go back to sleep." She wriggled again as he hopped off of his bed and walked out of his bedroom.

As he walked down the stairs, the doorbell rang once more. He clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes, trying his hardest not to punch a wall. "Danny, if that's you behind the door, I swear to God, I'll kill you for waking me up early."

As soon as he opened his front door, he found himself staring into the face of someone who he hadn't seen in months. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from shock.

"Is that really how you greet your best friend?" the clean-shaven, dirty blonde-haired Caucasian man in a Navy Working Uniform Type II huffed.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Steve muttered with a growing smile. "James, you mother fucker!"

They both laughed excitedly as they hugged and patted each other's backs. "What are you doing here?" Steve asked as he pulled away. "I thought you were on deployment!"

"I was," he nodded. "You gonna let me in so I can tell you about it?"

"Yeah! Yeah, of course! Come in!" Steve nodded as he stepped aside to let him in, shutting his front door behind him.

"Your parents' house hasn't changed a bit," James stated as he looked around the living room from the entryway in astonishment. Kono's voice then came from the top of the staircase. "I knew I heard a familiar voice."

"_Kono?_" James stared in shock as he watched her walk down the stairs, clad in only panties and Steve's buttoned-up, long-sleeved dress shirt. _Holy shit, she grew up._

"Hey, James," Kono greeted as she hugged him, standing on her tiptoes. She then pulled away from their hug, hands resting on her hips. "Been a long time."

"W-what are you doing here? A-and what are you _wearing?_" James stuttered in shock as he continued to stare at her with widened eyes.

"Or _not_ wearing," Steve snapped with a low yet sharp tone. "_Where are your pants?_"

"I couldn't find them," she shrugged nonchalantly. "You're the one who tossed them. You tell _me_ where they are."

"Couldn't you have grabbed a pair of my shorts or something?" Steve asked, his tone still rough. He then noticed James staring at Kono's bare legs from the corner of his eye. He snapped his fingers at him to draw his attention, causing Kono to turn her head sharply at James. "Hey!"

"Huh?" James shook his head, breaking himself from his trance. He then looked at Steve, whose eyes were hot with rage. "You better look somewhere else before I poke your eyes out."

"Sorry?" James said uncertainly, his face full of confusion. "I'm missing something, aren't I?"

"Okay," Kono said flatly and uncomfortably as she turned toward Steve. "I'm going to go find my pants." She then pointed back and forth between the two men. "You two should start catching up."

Just as she turned toward the stairs, Steve grabbed her by her arm. "Hey," he called out to her, causing her to turn around to him. "Where do you think you're going without a kiss?"

He then pulled her into his arms, smiling as he leaned in for an open-mouthed kiss. "Good morning," he muttered in his sexy morning voice.

"Morning," she mumbled against his mouth, smiling back. She giggled lightly as she pulled away from him to go upstairs. "I'll be back."

James just shook his head, shell-shocked by what he had just witnessed. "A-are you two–" he began to stammer.

"Come on," Steve laughed as he tipped his head toward his kitchen. "I'll tell you over coffee."

Just as he was about to lead him toward the kitchen, he heard his phone ring from upstairs. He closed his eyes and groaned before turning around to James. "Actually, we might have to take a rain check on the coffee."

…

An unfamiliar face greeted the team and James as soon as they got out of their cars. She shook each one of their hands as she introduced herself. "I'm Laura Hills, I recently took over as Governor Jameson's new public safety liaison. Wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

"Nice to meet you," Steve said as he finished shaking her hand. He then introduced James to her. "This is Lieutenant James Russell. He served under me in SEAL Team 3."

"Good to meet you, Lieutenant," Laura said to James as she shook his hand.

"So, my understanding is that the suspect is a SEAL?" Steve questioned Laura with shock and surprise in his voice.

"Heavily decorated," Laura confirmed as she passed around a photograph of the suspect. "He is Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Graham Wilson of SEAL Team 5. He's holed himself up inside with an unknown number of hostages."

She then explained the situation to them further, informing them about his wife's murder and of his demand to find her murderer, despite the fact that HPD found him at her crime scene with her murder weapon in his hands. She then focused her words on Steve. "Usually, SWAT would handle something like this, but the governor seems to think that you'd be better equipped to handle the situation, given your background as a SEAL."

"Him?" Danny asked disbelievingly as he pointed to Steve then to himself. "And me, I'm here for what? The entertainment?"

"Well, you can tell SWAT to sit tight," Steve then said as he nodded to James. "James and I will go in alone."

"_Excuse me?_" Laura said, raising her eyebrows in a bout of shock.

"_Whoa,_ that's just stupid," Danny expressed with hand gestures to match his speech. "I'm sure your girlfriend wouldn't like that very much."

Kono, who was standing next to Steve, agreed as she held her finger up for emphasis. "No, I wouldn't."

"_Girlfriend?_" James raised his eyebrows at Kono and then at Steve, shaking his head in consternation. He then started talking again before they could respond. "_I knew it._"

"Look," Steve began to reason. "Graham's a SEAL. He's been trained in close quarters combat, which means he has the high ground right now. If you send SWAT in blind, they're going to take heavy losses and more than likely get multiple hostages killed. If this guy didn't kill his wife, he deserves at least a conversation before we go in guns blazing. If he did, and he's gonna kill again, we'll take him out ourselves. But if you want my help today, he and I go in alone."

Steve turned to Kono, who looked at him worriedly. "I'll be fine," he assured as he pinched her chin between his index finger and thumb. He then walked back to his truck to gear up, James following suit.

"This should be fun," James said with a big smile on his face as he patted his back. "It'll be like old times."

"Aww, how _cute,_" Danny called out flatly from where he was standing. James heard his call and just laughed without turning around. "I think he's jealous of us," he murmured to Steve, causing him to laugh lightly.

…

"Okay, well, I'm going to go see the kid, see if she knows anything," Kono said, looking at everyone but Steve. She then focused her eyes on Danny. "You'd probably ask _me_to do it since I'm the woman on the team."

"No, no. It's _not_ because you're a woman," Danny corrected her with hand gestures to match. "It's because you're a _rookie,_ which is _way_ worse." Chin and Kono just chuckled at his reasoning.

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Steve asked in laughter as he noticed Kono avoiding his gaze.

"You know how I get when you're shirtless," Kono responded, finally looking at him and smiling. She then waved her finger at the other three men. "I'm avoiding looking at you for _their_ sakes." Steve just laughed and looked away.

Danny stared at her with a disapproving look in his eyes as he rested his elbows on the roof of his car. "Thank you for sparing our eyes."

Steve slipped a pair of swimming goggles around his neck as he addressed his team, a small smile playing on his lips. "Alright, listen, I'll have my phone on me, but don't call me. I'll call you, okay?"

"Bet you've used that line before," Kono grinned and tilted her head to one side.

Steve swung his backpack on then walked up to her. "Not on you, obviously," he murmured huskily as he covered her mouth with his for a quick kiss, her mouth smiling against his.

"Don't I get a kiss?" James asked sarcastically as he walked up next to him, puckering his lips.

"No, but you can get a punch in the face," Steve replied flatly to him, causing James to chuckle. He then turned to Chin and Danny. "We'll initiate contact once we're in a secure location."

"I bet he said that before, too," Chin laughed to Kono.

"Not to me, at least," she nodded with a smirk, her tone light and teasing. "He doesn't usually wait to be in a secure location to initiate contact with me."

"_Oh,_ I didn't need to know that," Chin cringed, laughing slightly.

"I didn't, either," Danny complained with a grotesque face, his eyes rolling. "You guys make me _sick._"

A smile appeared on Steve's lips as he turned back around to Kono. His smile then quickly disappeared when he noticed her face had turned concerned and serious. Before he had a chance to ask her what was wrong, she murmured, "E malu 'oe."

Steve cupped her jaw in his palm and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You, too, beautiful."

"Good luck, Aquamen!" Danny called out as James and Steve walked away. They just lifted their fists in the air in response as they continued to walk.

…

"So, how's it going? You with Graham yet?" Danny asked through the phone.

"We got eyes on him," Steve whispered as he crouched down to avoid being seen, his eyes locked on Graham. "We're holding out outside the wardroom."

"Well, that sounds fun," Danny stated with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah, tons of fun," Steve muttered sarcastically. "I wish you were here."

"Aww, you miss me, don't you?" Danny said with a smile on his face. His tone then became somber, his facial expression matching perfectly. "That's _your_ fault. You're the one who didn't want me to come."

Steve rolled his eyes and sighed inwardly, his voice exasperated and impatient. "It's not that I didn't want you here. You're just not trained for this sort of shit." A thin smile then appeared on his lips. "Besides, you don't know how to swim."

"I don't swim?" Danny asked with an offended tone. His voice then changed to argumentative and defensive. "I swim! Very well, actually. I just _choose_ not to."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Steve said, overly annoyed. "I'll see it to believe it."

"You're a liar. You don't miss me," Danny replied sourly.

Steve wanted to throw his phone on the ground then stomp on it. "Danny…"

"No, no, _don't,_" Danny interrupted him, his hand waving dismissively even if Steve couldn't see it through the phone. "I was already hurt that you replaced me for Kono. And now you're going to add the other half of the Navy SEAL 'Dream Team' to the list?"

Steve scrunched his face in disbelief, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth slightly open. "You're seriously jealous right now, Danny?"

"Are you talking to your wife?" retired Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Ed McKay huffed at Steve from behind him.

"I'm talking to my partner," Steve said as he turned his head slightly to him.

James, who also had a gun in his hand, bent down slightly to whisper in Steve's ear. "What did I say? I knew he was jealous."

…

"So, Graham, tell us about Noreen. Where'd you guys meet?" Steve asked while he tended the injury of one of the tour participants.

Graham briefly looked out the ship's window before responding, a gun still in his hands. "Germany, six and a half years ago. I was traveling through Europe on leave. She was working at an all-ranks club in Ramstein. She had just immigrated there with her daughter. Three months later, we were married."

James, who was standing among the group of hostages sitting on the floor, looked at Steve before looking back at Graham. "Graham, what happened this morning?" James asked.

Graham closed his eyes as tears fell down from it. "We fought. We argued. I know I haven't been easy to live with ever since I've been back. Noreen says that she's scared of me, that I'm not the same guy she married." He sighed and swallowed the pain he felt flowing through him. He then spoke up again, flicking his eyes back and forth between them. "What about you two? Do you have someone special?"

"Not at the moment, no," James said almost regrettably.

"What about you, McGarrett?"

"Yeah, I do have someone special," Steve said proudly but softly as he finished aiding to the man's wound. "Very special."

"Make sure she smiles and keep her happy," Graham said while gritting his teeth. He then started sobbing slightly. "I just wanted Noreen to be happy again. She always had such a beautiful smile, but I hadn't seen it in so long. And it was my fault."

"I'm sorry, man–" Steve apologized as he began to approach him.

"Get back!" Graham warned as he raised his gun at him threateningly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" James asked with his hands raised, attempting to calm him down while he stood in place.

"You don't think I know what you two are doing?" Graham asked angrily as he waved his gun at them. He then nodded his head toward the door leading to the bathroom. "You two get in there, _now!_"

As James and Steve walked toward the bathroom, Graham continued to point his gun at them. "I will _not_ play your head games anymore. Get in and close the door!"

As soon as James closed the door, Graham barricaded them inside. "Terrific," Steve sighed, wiping his hand down his face.

…

"Where are you?" Danny asked.

"The head," Steve answered as he paced the floor of the bathroom back and forth. "Graham barricaded us in here."

"You're in a bathroom?" Danny asked in disbelief and surprise. "_I_ could've gotten locked into a bathroom."

"It's a long story," Steve huffed. His expression then turned to one of shock. "Are you seriously still mad?"

"Yes, Steven, I am still mad," Danny replied impatiently, his voice louder and sterner. His loud cackling forced Steve to pull the phone away from his ear to avoid going deaf. "But I don't want to talk about that right now. I'm calling SWAT for you."

"_No,_ you won't call SWAT," Steve demanded as he placed the phone back against his ear, causing Danny to clench his phone in anger before almost throwing it down on his desk. "We'll find a way out of here."

James looked at Steve in disgust as he leaned against one of the bathroom stalls. "Boats is right. You guys seriously sound like a married couple. It's disturbing." Steve just glared at him angrily, causing James to raise his hands in defeat. "I'm just saying, I hope Kono is okay with your relationship being polygamous."

…

"Is she okay?" Steve asked with much concern in his voice.

Danny looked at Kono then sighed into the phone. "No," he said with a voice matching his. "I don't think so."

"Let me talk to her real quick," Steve pleaded.

Danny walked over to Kono, handing her his phone with a warm smile on his face. "Your boyfriend wants to talk to you." He then messed her hair up fondly before gesturing Chin to walk with him.

"Hey," Kono greeted sadly, a frown still on her features.

"Hey, baby," Steve greeted from his end of the line, concern still in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"No," she spoke softly.

"Listen to me, okay?" he sighed. "Stop beating yourself up. It's not your fault." He waited for her to respond, but when she did not, he spoke again. "She'll be okay. She'll turn up, you hear me?"

"I hear you," she responded, holding back her tears.

"Okay," he said hesitantly. "I can't worry about you right now. I've got my hands kind of full."

"Yeah. I know," she said flatly, her eyes showing pain. Her voice then turned somber. "Don't worry about me. I'm gonna give the phone back to Danny."

Steve just closed his eyes and sighed, angry that he couldn't comfort her physically.

"Hey," Danny said as he took his phone back from her.

"Make sure she's okay, Danny," Steve ordered in a pleading tone.

"Don't worry, babe. I will."

"Thanks," Steve sighed again. "Did you get any hits on those fingerprints I sent you?"

…

Steve walked past Graham and Lily and toward Kono, who was watching the daughter and father with a heavy heart. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted with a soft smile as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "You okay?" he murmured into her hair.

"Yeah," she nodded as she pulled back to meet his gaze. "I'm better now."

"Good. I'm glad," he sighed in relief as he curled his fingers around her neck, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I was worried."

"Didn't I tell you not to worry?" she pursed her lips, a smile now on her features.

"You know I can't help but worry about you." He tucked a stand of hair behind her ear before nodding his head toward the car, a soft smile back on his lips. "Come on, let's get outta here."

…

While waiting for his beer to arrive at the bar inside the restaurant, Steve leaned his back against the bar top and looked out at the patio to where his beautiful girlfriend was sitting at a table with Chin and Danny. His face immediately broke into a smile at the sight of her. She was wearing a blue, thin-strapped dress that stopped at her bottom. (He tried to talk her out of wearing it for hours.)

James, who was sitting next to him while also waiting for his beer, turned around to see his best friend's infatuated face. "I never thought the two of you would end up together," James nudged him and smiled.

"Neither did I," Steve said, still looking at her and smiling.

"She was the _last_ girl I thought you'd end up with."

"Believe me, I know," Steve agreed. "But there was just something about her that made my head spin."

James put on another smile. "I remember when you didn't even want to get _near_ her, and now you can't even keep your hands _off_ of her."

"I fought my feelings, really, I did. I tried so hard not to be attracted to her," Steve said in his defense. "But she's like a magnet. It's like I'm being drawn to her."

James looked at him with surprised eyes. "Is it getting serious?"

Steve thought about his response before answering. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so," he smiled. He then grunted, yet a smile still graced his lips. "I don't know what's going on. I'm crazy about her, man. I just—I can't help myself. I fall more and more each day."

James' eyes widened even more. "_Wow._"

"I know," Steve chuckled at himself and at James' response.

"_Who are you?_" James asked disbelievingly as the bartender tapped him on the arm to get his attention. He then turned around to grab his beer that now sat in front of him. "Thanks," he said to the bartender.

As soon as Steve was done thanking the bartender for his own drink, James began to speak again. "Good for you, man. Seriously, I'm happy for you. You're taking a _huge_step, a step I thought you'd _never_ take."

"Thanks," Steve clinked his beer with James' and took a swig. He then nodded toward their table. "Come on. Let's go back over there."

As soon as they got back to their table, Steve sat down next to Kono. "Hey, there you are," Kono said cheerfully as she placed her hand on his jean-clad thigh. "What took you so long? I was beginning to miss you."

"Yeah? You missed me?" Steve whispered huskily with a smile as he leaned in to kiss her quickly but passionately, resting his arm on the back of her chair.

Danny, who was sitting across from them, just rolled his eyes. "_Seriously,_ couldn't you have waited until you got home?" He then noticed James, who sat in-between him and Steve at one head of the table, looking at him. "_What?_" he snapped gently.

"You're a prude," James said with a smile, leaning back in his chair.

"_Excuse me?_" Danny said with widened eyes, cocking his head in confusion.

"_You're a_ _prude,_" James said slowly with emphasis. His tone then changed sharply to a sympathetic voice. "Come on, them kissing is _sweet._ Just don't look at them when they're doing it." He then pointed with his hands at Chin. "Look at Chin. He knows how to ignore them."

Chin just raised his hands up, palms out in submission. "Don't bring me into this."

"Well, good for him. I _envy_ him," Danny said with his hand on his chest. "_I_ can't ignore what's in front of me. So, please, forgive me if I want to keep my sanity and innocent mind."

He then felt a foot rubbing up against his leg. He looked under the table to see Kono's bare foot moving down and up his leg.

"See what I mean?" he said to James as he pointed with his hands under the table, causing James to look under the table, as well. Danny then looked at Kono, who was laughing with Steve at something Chin had said. Danny yelled at her to get her attention. "You're playing footsie with the wrong person!"

"Sorry," she mouthed, her eyes wide in embarrassment. Chin and Steve just snickered behind their balled fists while looking down at the table.

With his eyebrows still furrowed, Danny turned his attention back to James as he spoke up again. "_Innocent?_ Come on, you have a kid. Your mind can't be _that_ innocent."

"You're kidding me, right?" Danny said, ready to argue.

"Oh, here we go," Steve muttered as he sighed and tilted his head back, their arguing ringing in his ears.

"You never should've introduced them to each other," Kono laughed.

"I think it's entertaining," Chin grinned.

Just as Steve was about to yell at Danny and James to stop bickering, Mary yelled as she walked to their table. "I'm here! I'm here! Sorry I'm late!"

"_Saved by my sister,_" Steve mumbled to Chin and Kono before getting up from his chair to hug Mary. He then said to her with a grateful voice, "_Thank you._"

Mary looked confused as she pulled away. Kono moved in to hug her next, a smile still on her lips. "Perfect timing. I didn't feel like arresting anyone tonight."

"Why? Did I miss something entertaining?" Mary chuckled as she pulled away from their hug and sat down in the empty seat at the other head of the table in-between Chin and Kono.

"You sure did," Chin laughed.

James, who had been staring at Mary with wide eyes since she arrived, finally spoke up with a shocked voice. "_Mary?_"

"Hey, James," Mary smiled as she settled into her chair. "Long time."

Steve looked at James with his mouth slightly open in shock. "Hey!" he snapped, catching everyone's attention. James' eyes stretched as his head slowly turned toward Steve.

"_Not_ my sister, either!" Steve muttered while pointing at him angrily.

"I'm not doing anything," James lifted his hands submissively into the air.

"Uh-huh," Steve continued to mutter through gritted teeth. "_I'm watching you._"


	9. Manaʻo

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: I continue to be amazed at how many of you follow and review this story every week. No words can express my gratitude enough. You flatter me to no end!_

_This is another chapter with a semi-smutty scene at the end. Apologies if it's not your cup of tea! I just can't help myself when it comes to Kono and Steve; they're just too hot, separately but especially together. I think that they deserve hot, steamy scenes._

_My endless thanks go to quisinart4 and Tiana-P. You two are awesome._

* * *

"What do you think of this shirt?" Steve asked as he held up a long-sleeved, snug-fitting V-neck to his form.

Kono, who was sitting cross-legged with her arms crossed atop her knees on one of the waiting chairs, responded enthusiastically in an attempt to hide her boredom. "Yeah, I like that one."

He looked at her in an annoyed manner as he dropped the shirt to his side. He then spoke in a flat, unwavering tone. "Sweetheart, you've said that about the other three shirts I picked out. Which one do you _really_ like?"

"Baby, they're all nice," she said, earning her another glare. She then chuckled before continuing to speak, flinging her hands out for emphasis as she kept her sitting position exactly the same. "Look, I don't understand why you feel the need to buy new clothes for tonight."

"We're having dinner with your mom and sister. Kind of a big deal," he said as he placed the shirt back down on the pile of shirts he had already accumulated on the chair next to her. He then plucked a long-sleeved, salmon-colored shirt from the pile and walked to the mirror, holding it up to his chest.

"How is it a big deal?" she asked incredulously, raising her eyebrow out of confusion. "It's not like you haven't met them before."

He then turned back around to her. "Yeah, but I have to make a good impression on them this time since I'm your boyfriend now."

She glanced down at the pile of shirts then back up at the shirt he had in his hand. "Why are all of them long sleeved?" she asked amusedly, her eyebrow still raised.

"I'm covering up my tattoos. I don't think your mom would like them very much," he said nonchalantly with a shrug. She held back a laugh, causing him to cross his arms and scoff. "Seriously, baby, this is _not_ funny."

She smiled as she got up from the waiting chair and walked up to him, cupping his face in both of her hands. "Would you stop stressing? You don't need to try hard to impress them. They already like you."

He sighed impatiently, his eyes pleading. "Just pick one for me, _please?_"

"Okay, okay," she laughed as she turned around to look through the pile. She then pulled out a button-down, long-sleeved plaid shirt, holding it up to him daintily. "This one."

"Are you sure?" he asked haltingly, emphasizing every word.

She rolled her eyes, a smile lingering at the edges of her mouth. "Yes, I'm sure."

His eyes squinted as he looked at her. "You better not just be rushing me out of here so you can catch the good swell."

"I would _never_ do that," she protested. He then tilted his head a spot to the left, looking at her incredulously. She rolled her eyes again as she continued to speak. "Okay, I would. But I'm not."

"Alright, okay, I'm done," he replied sulkily as he took the shirt from her.

"Are you sure?" she pouted sympathetically as she pulled his waist closer to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how important this is to you."

"Yeah, we can go," he huffed defeatedly as he kissed her nose, causing her to scrunch it and smile. "I like this shirt best, too."

"Yay!" she said as she grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the checkout counter. "Okay, come on. Chop, chop. I wanna go surfing."

He scoffed, though still allowing her to lead him forward. "What did I say? _I knew it._"

As he handed the cashier the shirt, he wrapped his free hand around her waist. Instinctively, she wrapped both arms around his neck in a side hug. "Nah," she smiled as she kissed the corner of his mouth. "I just knew you'd give in."

"You're lucky you're irresistible," he said through gritted teeth, fighting a smile.

…

Kono and Steve walked into the main room of the art gala, her arm linked through his. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he had a complacent smile plastered on his face. Moving her eyes back to what was in front of her, she spoke softly to him. "You look pretty smug."

"As it happens, sweetheart, I'm _feeling_ pretty smug," he responded, his smile widening as he, too, kept his eyes in front of him. "Danny kissed you the last time we went undercover together. I'm sure I'll get my turn later."

"As if you don't get enough of my lips," she said through her smile, shaking her head in amusement.

"I don't," he murmured into her ear, trying to sound as seductive as possible. He then spotted a man behind a velvet rope stanchion, his tone back to normal. "I think I just spotted our gatekeeper."

Her eyes moved to where he was looking. They watched as the man examined a card that was handed to him by three "important" people standing on the other side of the velvet rope stanchion before letting them go past him. "Looks like we need a magic card," she said as she leaned her head toward him.

They then spotted a man coming out from the other side, the bouncer lifting the velvet rope to let him back into the main room of the gala. "Can you check it out for me?" he muttered huskily.

She squeezed his arm before letting go. "Of course," she said, matching his tone.

She took a few steps forward, catching Chin and Danny's attentions with her gaze. She nodded her head toward the man, giving them a go-signal to attempt to steal his wallet.

As Danny passed the wallet covertly to her, she deftly removed the card before tossing the wallet away and walking back to Steve. He then grabbed the card slyly from her hand, pulling her into his arms in the process as he stuffed it into his inside jacket pocket. "Told you I'd get my turn," he whispered into her mouth as he kissed her, a smirk playing on his lips. "Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome," she grinned into his mouth.

A woman then approached them; they assumed she worked for Bastille. "Good evening, and might I say, you two make a _beautiful_ couple."

"Aww, thank you," Kono said to the woman as she giggled from Steve's playful nibbles at her neck.

The woman smiled at them before continuing. "Like what you see?"

Steve's attention was now focused on the woman, though his arms remained around Kono's waist. "Uh, yeah, it's hard not to."

Kono rested a hand on his forearm while the other pointed at an art piece behind the woman. "Yeah, this one is very conceptual."

The woman turned around to look at the piece then turned back to them. "Are you interested in it?"

"Actually, my girlfriend and I are in the high-volume resale business," Steve said as he pulled the card out of his inside jacket pocket, lifting it up for her to see. He then nodded his head toward Chin and Danny, who were standing a few feet behind them. "My, uh, other two business partners are here, as well."

The woman looked at them suspiciously before leading them to the bouncer.

…

Kono looked into Steve's office and saw him leaning back on his office chair with his hands behind his head, his facial expression soured with regret and worry.

As she entered his office, he looked at her and smiled a forced smile. She pouted at him sympathetically as she approached him and sat on his lap. He then leaned forward in his chair, his arms now around her waist and his head resting on her chest. "You okay?" she murmured against his hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers stroking the back of his neck to calm him.

He pulled his head back to look at her. "Was I wrong?"

"No, you were just going with what the evidence was telling you," she said as she continued to stroke the back of his neck. "I obviously saw the same thing."

He remained silent, his eyes distant and distracted. "Aww, baby," she said gently and sympathetically as she wrapped her arms around his head, kissing the top of his head and winding her fingers through his hair. "It'll be okay. He'll be okay."

They stayed that way momentarily; he nuzzled his head into her neck gently as she giggled lightly. She then kissed his head again before continuing to speak. "So, what exactly did Danny do to Bastille?"

He pulled his head back again to look her in the eyes, a small yet genuine smile making its way across his soft lips. "He, uh, tied him to the hood of the car then drove up a parking deck in high speed."

She chuckled and scoffed. "Sounds like he's learning a lot from you."

"You think it's sexy," he said as his smile grew wider, his voice now husky.

"Mmm, that, I do," she said, winking before leaning in to kiss him chastely.

…

As Kono slid her key into the lock of the front door of her mother's beachfront estate in Kailua, Steve ran his free hand over his plaid shirt to smooth out the wrinkles, his other hand nervously holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Are you sure I look okay? Did I dress up enough?" he asked as his hand moved down to smooth out his denim faded jeans. He then ran a hand through his hair, his eyes now looking up at her. "Does my hair look okay?"

"Baby, _stop,_" she laughed as she turned around, placing both hands on his waist. She placed a quick kiss on his lips. "You look good, I promise."

She turned the key then opened the door, stepping inside only to smell a delicious aroma of food coming from the kitchen. "I recognize that smell," he said as he sniffed the air, closing the door behind him.

She turned her head around to flash a smile at him while walking toward a single sofa chair in the living room to put her purse down. "She's making your favorite."

"Aww, she didn't have to do that for me," he said sweetly as he walked up next to her.

"It's cute that you remember my mom's cooking," she smiled as she placed her hands over his chest, giving him a brief kiss on the lips. She then yelled for her mother to come into the living room. "Mama?"

"Oh, kaikamahine," her mother said as she came out of the kitchen and entered the living room, an apron wrapped around her. She hugged her with a big smile. "I've missed you! I barely ever see you."

"I know. I've missed you, too." Kono pulled away, her hands now holding onto hers. "I'm sorry we had to reschedule the other night. We had a long case."

"Oh, it's okay. I'm just glad you're here now."

She then turned around to Steve, causing him to step forward to greet her mother. "You remember Steve, right?" she asked while turning her head back toward her.

"Oh, my God, you look so different!" her mother said as she let her go to hug Steve. "Hi, sweetie!"

"Hi, Mrs. Kalakaua," he smiled as he hugged her back with one arm.

"Oh, come on. You know better than to call me that," she said as she pulled away from him completely.

"_Ida,_" he smiled again as he brought out the flowers from his back and presented them to her. "These are for you."

Ida placed a hand on her chest, touched by his gesture. "Oh, you didn't have to get me these."

"I wanted to," he shrugged.

"You haven't changed. You're still the sweet boy I remember," she said, making him smile again.

Kono, who had been smiling at their reunion, spoke up to her mother. "Is my sister here?"

"Yeah, she's helping me in the kitchen," Ida nodded before calling out for Lani. "Leilani? Can you come out here, keiki?"

Her five-foot, six-inch sister with paler yet still tanned skin came out of the kitchen. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt and short, white shorts with a bikini inside. Her eyes were dancing as she took in the sight of Kono's cotton, strapless, white dress with a sweetheart neckline. "Nice dress. Who bought that for you?"

"Come here," Kono smiled through gritted teeth as she pulled her sister in for a hug. "Oh, I've missed you, you punk."

"I've missed you, too," Lani smiled as she closed her eyes, taking in her sister's presence and warmth.

"How much longer until you have to leave?" Kono asked as she pulled away.

"I've still got a couple of days."

"I'll take you out to lunch tomorrow. I'm off." She then looked at Steve before re-introducing him to Lani. "You remember Steve?"

"How could I forget?" Lani said as she walked over to hug him. "His name was always so prominently popular in this household."

"Did your sister really talk about me _that_ much?" Steve asked while still hugging her, amusement clearly in his tone.

"All the time," Lani smiled as she pulled away.

"Okay," Kono said abruptly, clearly embarrassed. "Is dinner ready?"

Lani chuckled before responding. "Just about." She then nodded her head toward the kitchen. "Come help me."

Kono looked at Steve again. "You two gonna be okay here?" she asked with slight concern.

"Of course," Steve said confidently yet still shaky.

"Yeah, go, we'll be fine," Ida waved her hands, shooing the two ladies away. "Just bring us some _lilikoi_ juice." Her eyes were back on Steve. "Do you still like lilikoi juice?"

"Yes, ma'am," Steve nodded with a smile.

"Here, I'll put those in water," Kono said as she grabbed the flowers from her mother's hands. Before walking with Lani toward the kitchen, she smiled and winked at Steve, causing him to smile back.

Ida looked at Steve as she sat on one of the couches. "So, how are you, sweetie?" she asked as she gestured him to sit across from her. "Tell me about the Navy."

Steve sat with his arms resting on his legs, back bent forward. "Well, I went to Annapolis, spent five years with Naval Intelligence before joining the SEALs for six. I came back after my dad died and I decided to stay."

"_Wow!_ Impressive! Do you miss it?"

He nodded but protested, a smile reappearing on his lips. "I like my life now, though, just as much."

"What made you want to stay?"

Before he could respond, Kono reappeared into the living room and walked over to where he was sitting. He smiled as he opened his arm and put it around her waist, her arm instinctively wrapping around his shoulders. He then looked back at Ida, smiling even wider this time. "Your daughter, for one."

Kono and Steve smiled at each other sweetly, causing Ida to smile at them. Kono then moved her eyes back and forth between her mother and Steve. "I was about to bring out the juice, but dinner is actually ready now."

"Oh, okay," Steve answered, still looking at Kono.

Kono looked down at him, concern in her tone. "You two doing okay?"

"Yeah, we're doing fine," he assured confidently.

Kono squinted her eyes skeptically but cautiously agreed. "Okay, good." She nodded her head toward the dining room as she spoke again. "Come on."

She then walked over to her mother to extend her hand. "Come on, mama." She pulled her up, wrapping an arm around her waist and walking with her toward the dining room, Steve following suit.

…

Dinner had long been over, and Kono and Steve had been leaning forward against the lanai railing and staring out into the open ocean in comfortable silence for a good while now, the evening breeze caressing their skin. He had his arm draped over her shoulders, her head resting against his collarbone. Lani stepped through the already opened glass door to join them on the lanai, two cups of coffee in her hands. "Mama really likes Steve," she said, getting both their attentions as she handed them the coffees.

"What was mama saying?"

Lani was now leaning next to Kono against the railing. She looked at both of them though her words were for Kono. "She just kept talking about what a fine gentleman he grew up to be and is happy to see him still taking such good care of you."

"Aww, she said that?" Kono said to her before turning her head to look at Steve, swatting his chest playfully with the back of her free hand. "See? I told you she liked you."

"He was nervous, huh?" Lani chuckled. Kono just chuckled back and nodded before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Alright. Tease me, just get it over with," Steve huffed, rolling his eyes as he took his own sip.

The two ladies continued to laugh before falling into another comfortable silence, their eyes all looking the same direction toward the ocean. After a few moments, Lani broke the silence, directing her words toward Kono once more as she continued to stare out into the ocean. "Hey, sis, remember when we'd sneak in alcohol then take our boards out here at night?"

"Yeah," Kono said after taking another sip, recalling memories from her past as her eyes were also still fixed on the ocean. "God, that was fun."

"Seriously?" Steve asked as he looked at Kono, his tone in disbelief.

She turned her head toward Steve, her voice amused. "Seriously. We used to do it all the time. I'm surprised our mom never woke up from us. We were so loud."

"Yeah, your girlfriend was pretty crazy back then," Lani teased, her eyes moving to Steve.

"You were worse than I was," Kono scoffed at her with amusement. "I don't think you want me to start listing the shit you got yourself into." Lani just punched her arm playfully and scrunched her face in fake anger, causing Kono to stick her tongue out at her. Steve just smiled at the two of them, shaking his head as he drank some more of his coffee.

Lani then nodded up at her. "You said you're off tomorrow, right?" She waited for her to nod then continued, her voice now excited. "Let's relive our past!"

Kono sat her cup on the wide railing, her hand still through the handle of the cup. "_Lani…_"

"What?" Lani asked innocently.

"_Seriously?_"

"Why not? We're only young once. Might as well do all the crazy shit while we still can. Besides, who's gonna arrest us? You two are cops."

Kono contemplated before turning to Steve, letting go of her cup. "Do you mind?"

He finished his coffee and set his cup down on the railing, his face full of curiosity and excitement. "Hell, I'm joining in." He then looked at Lani. "You got an extra board, right?" Lani just nodded and smiled widely.

"Really?" Kono asked him in disbelief, a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah," Steve smiled back. "I never got a chance to grow up with you. I'm curious to see what it was like."

Kono smiled mischievously and spoke to Lani without turning around. "Go grab the whiskey."

As Lani ran excitedly into the house to grab a bottle of whiskey, Steve raised his eyebrows at Kono in shock. "_Whiskey?_"

"Oh, yeah. My sister and I, we'd drink like men," Kono said proudly. She then smirked as she saw his face light up in amazement. "You look impressed."

"Oh, I'm _more_ than that," Steve said lowly, his voice full of arousal. Kono just chuckled and shook her head as Lani came out with the whiskey.

…

Kono and Steve went into her childhood room, flushed with adrenaline and alcohol. They were stumbling to keep upright as they tried to control their laughter. "Fuck, that was fun," he whispered through a smile as he threw his towel on the floor of her room.

She closed the door behind her and tossed her towel on top of his, her eyes dark and lust-filled. She then walked toward him, crashing her mouth with his while fumbling with the strings of his swim trunks. "Mmmhmm, but this is fun, too."

"Mmm, what are you doing?" he moaned in-between kisses, slightly pulling away.

"What do you think I'm doing?" she asked as she continued to kiss him, her tongue now diving into his open mouth to run along his upper pallet, sending shivers down his spine. "Mmm, did I mention how fucking _hot_ you looked in those jeans and plaid shirt?"

He grabbed her arms and pulled away to see her eyes half open, mouth slightly agape. "Baby, we can't. We're in your _mom's_ house."

"Mmm, so?" She pressed her groin against his then drew her tongue along and down his neck, causing him to angle his head and groan in pleasure. He struggled to bring the words out of his mouth. "_We can't have sex in your mom's house._"

"It's _my_ house, too. I've got a key," she reasoned before pointing both index fingers skyward. "See? Look, _my_ room."

She pushed him onto her bed and unhooked her strapless bikini top, letting it drop to the floor. She then climbed on top of him and quickly put her hair up before kissing him again. "Don't worry, she won't wake up."

"You talk as if you've done this before," he said against her mouth, both his hands now on her hips. When she didn't respond, he stopped kissing her to look at her. "You've done this before, haven't you?" he huffed flatly, his face and tone unamused.

She gulped before gaining back her confidence. "Are you not gonna fuck me anymore? I thought you wanted to relive my past with me?" she asked innocently as she grinded her pelvis against his, trying to fight a smile coming onto her face.

"You can't do that," he retorted, amused yet annoyed. "You can't play cute and innocent."

"Why not? It's working, isn't it?" she smiled as she bit her lower lip.

He clenched his jaw playfully and smiled before swiftly turning them around, pinning her beneath him. She laughed and squealed simultaneously, causing him to put his hand over her mouth. His voice was quiet, yet husky and rough. "I'm going to fuck you _so_ much better than every boy you've ever brought in here."

She bit his hand playfully to get it off her mouth then smirked at him, her voice seductive as she lifted her head up from her pillow and whispered, "I wanna see you try."

Still smiling, he growled lowly and swept his tongue over her bottom lip before diving it into her mouth.

He was, indeed, better than _all_ the boys she had ever brought home.

* * *

_lilikoi – passion fruit_


	10. Poʻipu

_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything you recognize._

_A/N: Sorry this took so damn long to release but here it finally is, the next chapter. I hope the content makes up for the tardiness!_

_Again, I cannot thank you all enough for your love and support. It feels amazing to have over 100 reviews. My most mahalos go out to quisinart4 and Tiana-P. They are undoubtedly the best betas and the best fangirls to flail and squee with, and they have my undying gratitude._

* * *

"Do you realize that this is the first time we've hung out in, what? A month and a half?" Mary said as she and Kono were having coffee at a local coffee shop.

Kono looked at her in bemusement as she took a sip of her coffee. "What are you talking about? We had lunch the other day."

"No, dumbass," Mary said flatly as she slapped her hands onto her lap in frustration. "I meant, just the two of us, you know, without my brother attached to your hip."

"He is _not_ attached to my hip," Kono retorted with a defensive tone. She then pointed to the empty chair next to her with one of her hands. "Look, I don't see him here."

"He's only not here because he had a meeting, not because he didn't want to come," Mary replied, her voice still flat and unchanged.

"I'm sorry that you weren't born a man. I would have definitely had a crush on you," Kono teased, a small smile tugging at the edge of her mouth as she brought her coffee cup to her lips.

Mary just chuckled and shook her head as her eyes narrowed down to her coffee cup. Her voice was now pliant and soft as she twirled her empty cup with her hands. "I just miss you, you punk."

Kono just chuckled back as she lowered her cup onto the table. "It's hardly fair to say that we don't hang out when _you're_ the one who's never home."

Mary's eyes were now back on her as she rolled them, her tone defeated. "Even when I'm right, you _always_ win our arguments."

Kono squinted her eyes at her suspiciously before speaking again. "Where _have_ you been, anyway?"

"Out," Mary answered simply, her eyes avoiding hers once again.

"With _who?_ We have the same friends." Kono's mouth then dropped open in sudden realization, her index finger pointing at her. "You met someone, didn't you?"

"Maybe," Mary blushed.

"Well, who is he? When can I meet him?" Kono asked excitedly.

"You'll meet him when the time is right."

"Don't pull a _me,_" Kono said between gritted teeth, her finger back to pointing at her again. "I'm your best friend, I wanna know who you're doing."

Just as Mary was about to speak, Kono's phone began to ring. "Saved by your phone," Mary grinned as she leaned back in her chair. "It's your work, isn't it? You should answer it. You probably have a case."

"You got lucky," Kono huffed with her finger pointing at her once more time before answering her phone.

…

"No way! What's up, Bullfrog?" Steve greeted Nick enthusiastically as he hugged him, patting his back.

"Smooth Dog!" Nick greeted with just as much enthusiasm as he hugged him back. "Been a while."

"_'Smooth Dog?' _You're gonna tell me what that means, right?" Kono, who was standing to Steve's right, asked him with an amused smile playing across her lips, her tone teasing.

Steve pulled away from his hug with Nick and turned around to her, narrowing his eyes in playful anger. After deciding to ignore her question, he pressed his palm on her lower back as he introduced her. "Nick, this is my girlfriend and colleague, Kono Kalakaua." He then used his free hand to point to Chin and Danny, who were standing right across from him. "And these are our teammates, Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly."

"It's nice to meet you all," Nick said as he shook their hands. He then averted his attention back to Steve, nudging his elbow against his arm. "_Girlfriend, _huh? I never thought you'd get in a relationship."

"It didn't take much for her to change my mind," Steve said, smiling at Kono.

Nick's eyes were now on Kono as he winked. "Yeah, I bet, doing 'favors' for the boss."

Nick's comment made Chin and Danny wince in disgust. Kono and Steve just looked at each other then laughed. "We've known each other since we were kids," Steve said as he turned back to Nick.

"Oh, you've never mentioned her before."

Before Steve could speak up, Kono answered with sarcasm in her voice. "We didn't keep in touch. He didn't care about me back then."

"Hey, I care about you now," Steve snapped at her playfully, suppressing a big grin. He then looked toward Chin and Danny. "Nick served under me in the SEALs."

"Oh, another one to add to the 'Dream Team'," Danny huffed sourly as he frowned.

"'Dream Team'?" Nick asked Danny with a confused expression.

"Me and James," Steve answered for him, his tone obviously amused.

"Ah," Nick laughed, understanding clear on his face. "I take it he doesn't like James very much, does he?"

"That's an understatement," Steve laughed, earning him a furious glare from Danny. Steve smirked at his reaction before continuing to speak to Nick. "Anyway, I figured you'd re-enlist until you're mandatory. When did you get out?"

"Two years ago. Got my own shop now."

Steve bumped knuckles with Nick and smiled widely. "Alright, man! That's awesome."

Laura then spoke up. "After last night's security breach, the Sandimar government decided to beef up their protective detail. They hired Nick's firm to protect General Pak and his family."

"Of course they did," Steve said as he patted Nick's back jovially.

"Wow. So, you got genocide, ethnic cleansing. It's a great client you got," Danny snarked.

Steve knew where Danny was heading with his words and kept his jaw clenched tightly. "Here we go," he murmured aloud as he took a deep breath.

Kono turned on her heels, pointing both of her fingers toward the sliding glass door that led to the balcony where they were. "I'm gonna check out the crime scene. Good luck with Danny."

"Thank you very much, sweetheart," Steve scoffed as she walked away. He then looked at Chin, his eyes and voice pleading. "Please don't leave me, too_._"

"Sorry, brah. Gotta help your girlfriend process the scene," Chin laughed as he walked away.

Steve just threw his head back in annoyance and sighed.

_Damn it._

…

"The lady was right," Steve muttered, causing Kono to turn to look at him. He kept his eyes on the road, his hands gripping the steering wheel grimly as he recalled what the woman in Nae Shan's house had said. "I'm not a man if I'm protecting someone who shouldn't be protected."

"Steve…" Kono began patiently, her hand falling on his thigh as she gazed at him with concern. "We can't choose who to protect and who not to protect."

He continued to avoid her eyes, his jaw clenching at his inexplicable point of weakness. "I'm protecting someone who should be _barred,_ Kono. I know that he's guilty, and there's solid evidence to prove it. Yet, I can't arrest him. I'm not _allowed_ to. How fucked up is that?"

She sighed before continuing to talk. "Steve, I know, but there's nothing we can do. We just have to follow orders." She gave him a moment to respond but was only greeted with mere silence, his jaw clenching tighter as he tried to settle his nerves. She bent her head to meet his eyes, forcing him to look at her. "Hey, you're a good man."

He looked at her in doubt, pausing for a brief moment before speaking. "You really think I'm good man?"

"Of course I do," she scoffed and smiled softly as she moved her hand to his hair. "I wouldn't be with you if I didn't." He just looked away, a small smile pulling at the edges of his lips. She felt him beginning to relax as she gently massaged his scalp. "You treat me with such respect and warmth. You pour everything into making me feel fortunate and special. That's a good man, I think."

A smile finally broke onto his lips as he reached for her hand that was tangled in his hair, bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckles softly. "_I_ should be the one to feel fortunate. You know how to make me feel better." She smiled and twined her fingers with his.

They drove in a comfortable silence until they arrived back at headquarters. Just as he was about to get out of the car, she grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt. "Wait, come here." She cupped his jaw in her hands and kissed him softly. She looked him deep in the eyes after pulling away. "Don't ever think you're anything but wonderful, okay?"

He smiled at her warmly, easily losing himself in her eyes. His mouth then acted before his thoughts, speaking without prelude. "I love you."

Her mouth began to drop open and shock settled upon her features. He realized what he had said, backtracking immediately. "_Oh._ You didn't want me saying that."

"No, I–" she tried, her voice a barely inaudible croak.

"Don't worry about it," he concluded without giving her a chance to try to speak again. "Let's go inside."

…

"What is it with you? You attract conflict?" Danny said as he busted into Steve's office. "I have been gone for two hours and you have conducted two raids. What do you got planned for lunch?"

Steve turned to him impatiently, putting the papers that he was holding down onto his desk. "Did you run Nae Shan's alibi?"

"Yeah, he's clean. He checks out. Why are you so edgy right now?"

"I don't wanna talk about it right now, Daniel," Steve deadpanned, his voice flat and unequivocal.

"You know I'm just gonna keep bugging you until you tell me."

"I regret asking you to be my partner," Steve huffed, sighing before continuing to speak. "I told Kono I loved her."

"You did _what?_" Danny asked snappishly. A small smile then appeared on his face. "Well, did she say it back?"

"Why do you think I'm edgy?"

Danny nodded in disbelief. "That doesn't sound right. The woman is in love with you, she should've said it back." He was then struck with a realization. "You panicked, didn't you? You didn't let her speak!"

Steve looked back up at him briefly before turning back to the papers that demanded his attention. Danny scoffed before speaking again. "You idiot."

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Steve asked with an annoyed sigh, a hand splaying out in the air before him.

"Fine, you're still an idiot," Danny said, matching his tone. He then pointed to the papers. "What is…what…what are you doing here?"

…

After hearing gunshots, Kono ran out to the backyard where Steve was standing over Nick's now deceased body. "Steve?" she called out with panic in her voice.

He turned around to her, wincing in pain from the injury he'd sustained after a knife cut through his arm. She noticed the blood that was dripping from the cut and stopped just a few mere inches from where he stood, worry all over her face. "Baby…"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he assured as he reached for her hand. A contented sigh passed through her lips as he pulled her into his uninjured arm. "I love you," she mumbled into his neck before kissing the skin her lips laid on. "I love you." Without verbally responding, he just chuckled in shock and grinned, happiness stealing his breath.

She pulled away slightly as she heard Chin and Danny's footsteps approaching, her arms still resting around Steve's neck. She turned around briefly to take a cursory glance at Chin and Danny, then turned back to Steve. "I'll get a medic to look at you."

"Okay," Steve murmured as he let her go, watching her walk away with a burning intensity. He marveled at how very different his feelings were now. Never in his life had he ever thought he'd love someone the way he loved Kono. She'd become everything to him so quickly that it took him by surprise—he hadn't known that his heart was capable of loving this way. After being caught in a momentary daze, he shook himself out of it then averted his eyes toward Chin. "Chin, can you check on the General and his family?"

As soon as Chin went back inside the house, Danny shook his head at Steve and spoke in a somber voice. "You have got to start doing a better job at picking your friends."

Steve was now holding his wound, another wince coming from his mouth. "Tell me about it. I picked you, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Danny chuckled as he turned to walk away.

…

Kono let out a rough breath of air and placed her hands on her hips as she surveyed the damage done to the living room. "We have a great deal of cleaning up to do," she said without turning around as she felt Steve's presence behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, gently pulling her close as he placed open-mouthed, sensual kisses on her neck.

"Mmm," she moaned softly as she tilted her head for him, a grin quickly gracing her face. She turned around to face him, her arms automatically wrapping around his neck as his encircled her waist once again. She noticed the worry on his face almost instantly. "Hey, you okay?"

He didn't respond; he just looked at her in a way he never looked at her before, in a way he never looked at _anyone_ before. His eyes were so filled with affection and love that it took her breath away. He then captured her lips with his own, renewing the passion they felt only seconds before. He lifted her into his arms without warning, causing her to break their kiss as she grunted in protest. "Baby, your arm. You're gonna hurt yourself even more."

"I don't care, Kono," he whispered against her mouth before kissing her again, his fingers threading through her hair.

He carried her up to his bedroom and laid her on his bed, his mouth never leaving hers. "I love you," he mumbled onto her lips as he reached for her hands, lacing his fingers with hers then bringing them over her head.

"I love you, too," she hummed contently as she stirred at his words, her eyes fluttering open to look up at him. "I've always been in love with you." They smiled at each other with perfect understanding before kissing again.

The sex was gentle, slow—for the first time in his life, he understood why it was called "making love". And when they came undone, he pulled her close to his naked body, kissing her forehead and tangling his fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck.

For once, he felt right at home.

…

Danny and Steve sat in the bar at Haleiwa Joe's with Longboard lagers in their hands. "You don't look so edgy anymore," Danny said as he sipped on his beer.

"She said it back," Steve shrugged with a smile as he sipped his own beer.

Danny noticed his smug smile then just laughed at him. "And, of course, you got lucky afterward. You're a fucking bigot, you know that?"

Steve's smile grew wider, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Aww…you jealous, Danno?"

Danny pursed his lips and shook his head. "I'm just going to get her to hook me up with her sexy friends."

"They're all taller than you, though," Steve attempted a serious expression.

"Shut up or I'll make you pay for our drinks," Danny said into his beer bottle, looking up at the television screen. Steve just smiled into his own beer bottle, sipping the excellent brew as he, too, locked his eyes on the television.

As the closing credits of the show they were watching crawled across the screen, Danny tilted his beer to him with a grin. "I'm happy for you, Steven."

"Mahalos, Danny," Steve said as he clinked his bottle against his.


End file.
